HALL 


-  /  f 


HERO    STORIES 

FROM  THE 

OLD    TESTAMENT 


Copyright  by  The  Curtis  Publishing  Co.      From  a  Copley 
Print  copyright  by  Curtis  &  Cameron,  Publishers.  Boston 

DAVID  THE  SHEPHERD  LAD 


HERO    STORIES 

FROM  THE 

OLD  TESTAMENT 


Retold  for  Young  People  by 

SEYMOUR  LOVELAND 


Illustrated  with  half-tone  reproductions 
of  paintings  by  famous  artists 


RAND   M9NALLY   &   COMPANY 
CHICAGO  NEW  YORK 


Copyright.  1911,  by 
RAND  MCNALLY  &  COMPANY 


The  Bible  text  used  in  this  volume  is 
taken  from  the  American  Standard  Edition 
of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright  1901  by 
Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  and  is  used  by 
permission. 


To 

3F.  m.  M. 

Whose  faith  in  the  spirit  of  the  stories  and 

whose  appreciation  has  been  of  great 

encouragement  to  the  author,  this 

book  is  dedicated. 


2088004 


THE   INTRODUCTION 

A  well-known  writer  on  how  to  study  the  Bible  was  asked 
to  give  in  the  fewest  words  possible  the  best  method.  His 
reply  was,  "Think." 

Professor  Royce  of  Harvard  University,  lecturing  in  Chicago, 
made  the  statement:  "Children  think,  adults  do  not."  Taking 
this  statement  with  a  grain  of  salt,  we  who  are  familiar  with 
the  child  mind  are  forced  to  admit  that  children  think  so 
logically  that  the  philosophy  of  the  learned  has  frequently  been 
challenged  by  them.  They  also  have  a  keen  sense  of  con- 
tinuity, clearness  of  judgment  amounting  almost  to  harshness, 
and  an  unsparing  and  impersonal  idea  of  justice. 

To  those  young  thinkers  and  to  the  unspoiled  minds  of  adults 
these  stories  are  submitted  with  the  hope  that  they  may  inspire 
a  continually  increasing  love  for  that  most  wonderful  book,  the 
Bible. 

While  writing  these  stories  I  have  had  in  mind  all  young 
people,  but  the  intelligence  of  the  child  more  than  the  age  will 
determine  the  interest  of  the  story  for  each  individual.  The 
stories  are  not  written  for  childish  but  for  childlike  minds, 
both  qualities  being  found  in  all,  whether  youth  or  adult. 

Realizing  that  Scripture  is  a  volume  filled  to  the  brim  with 
living  principles,  and  that  to  be  without  it,  or  to  lose  faith  in 
the  Bible's  really  enormous  practical  value  when  applied  to 
daily  experience,  is  a  sad  loss,  I  have  striven  in  these  stories  so 
to  present  Biblical  characters  and  their  history  to  both  child 
and  adult  that  they  may  have  a  gripping  hold  on  both  interest 
and  attention. 

Each  story  is  complete  in  itself,  but  a  theme  runs  through 
them  as  a  whole  which  is  best  appreciated  if  they  are  arranged 
and  read  chronologically.  As  a  whole  they  portray  the  gradual 

vii 


THE   INTRODUCTION  viii 

development  of  Israel  from  idolatry  to  the  conception  of  God  as 
shown  in  the  life  of  the  Messiah. 

The  Scriptural  text  followed  is  that  of  the  AMERICAN 
STANDARD  REVISED  VERSION,  with  possibly  some  half  dozen 
exceptions,  those  exceptions  being  quotations  from  Ferrar 
Fenton,  whose  translation  of  the  Bible  is  one  of  rare  and  ripe 
scholarship. 

Historical  facts  have  been  gleaned  from  leading  authorities, 
as  also  allusions  to  persons,  customs,  and  countries.  Every 
statement  in  these  stories  has  been  made  after  the  leaders  of 
modern  scholarship  have  been  consulted.  The  authorities  have 
been  of  every  shade  of  opinion  and  of  no  opinion.  My  own 
independent  study  and  research  in  Bible  themes  has  covered  a 
period  of  some  forty  years. 

THE  AUTHOR 


THE  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

GOD  HEARD  . i 

The  Story  of  Hagar  and  Ishmael 

A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY 13 

Jacob's  Dream 

His  LITTLE  SISTER 33 

Miriam  and  Moses 

THE  DOOR  No  ONE  CAN  OPEN 46 

The  Turning  Back  of  Israel  from  the  Promised  Land 

OPENED  EYES 66 

Balaam  Cursing  Israel 

THE  SCARLET  CORD 81 

Rahab  and  the  Spies 

Is  IT  TRUE  ? 100 

Ruth  and  Naomi 

THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD 127 

Jephthah's  Daughter 

WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  BIG  MAN      ....  148 

Samuel  and  Eli 

How  HE  WON 166 

The  Story  of  David  and  Goliath 

THE  BOOMERANG 181 

Solomon  and  the  Queen  of  Sheba 

THE  ONLY  ONE 200 

The  Flight  of  Elijah 

WHAT  HAVE  You  IN  THE  HOUSE? 216 

The  Pot  of  Oil 

ix 


x  THE   CONTENTS 

PAGE 

WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN? 227 

Healing  of  Naaman  the  Leper 

WHEN  HEZEKJAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH 242 

Hezekiah's  Prayer  for  Deliverance 

TWICE  Two  Is  FIVE 259 

The  Fall  of  Jerusalem  and  the  Fiery  Furnace 

AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE 281 

Daniel  and  the  Bang's  Officer 

MEASURED 292 

Belshazzar's  Feast 


HERO    STORIES 

FROM  THE 

OLD  TESTAMENT 

GOD    HEARD 

THE  STORY  OF  HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL 

It  was  a  great  day  for  all  the  family.  Such 
stirring  about  as  there  was,  getting  everything 
ready  for  the  guests  who  had  been  bidden  to  the 
feast.  Sarah,  the  mother,  was  busy  in  the  tent 
making  loaves  of  bread.  She  kneaded  the 
dough,  then  cut  it  in  pieces  and  rolled  them  thin 
and  round  until  they  looked  like  the  covers  to 
the  sugar  jars  in  your  pantry.  Each  guest  was 
to  have  three  of  these  loaves,  and  they  must  be 
freshly  baked  for  the  evening  meal.  When  all 
was  ready  for  the  baking,  she  put  the  loaves 
between — As  I  shall  ask  you  to  be  a  guest  with 
me  at  this  banquet,  it  is  wisest  for  me  not  to  tell 
you  how  she  baked  them.  Though  you  may 
be  one  of  the  most  courteous  of  young  people 
and  know  how  guests  should  behave  when 


2  OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

invited  out  to  a  dinner,  I'm  afraid  your  face 
would  express  disgust  when  one  of  these  loaves 
was  offered  to  you.  In  those  days — and  today 
also  for  that  matter — there  were  different  ways 
to  bake  bread,  but  unfortunately,  the  very  best 
way  for  the  Oriental  is  in  our  eyes  the  very 
worst. 

Everyone  was  in  holiday  spirits.  Donkey 
boys  were  feeding  their  charges  an  extra  por- 
tion of  fodder,  and  instead  of  giving  them  the 
usual  kick  were  actually  stroking  their  sides. 
Even  the  surly  camels  seemed  to  have  caught 
the  spirit  of  joy,  for  they  had  stopped  fighting 
among  themselves  and  lay  quietly,  contentedly 
chewing  their  cuds,  and  forgetting  to  nip  the 
hand  of  their  keeper  as  he  passed  them.  Out  in 
the  pasture  the  little  kids  kicked  up  their  heels 
as  they  frisked  about  their  sedate  mothers,  who 
were  attending  to  the  serious  business  of  eating 
their  morning  meal.  True,  they  looked  wonder- 
ingly  at  some  men  moving  about  among  the 
flock.  Every  now  and  then  a  man  would  seize 
a  particularly  lively  kid  and  throw  it  across 
his  shoulders.  Poor  little  kids!  A  big  fire  was 
being  built  and  a  spit  made  ready  to  hold  the 


THE  STORY  OF  HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL      3 

limp  bodies  that  hung  so  lifelessly  across 
the  mens'  shoulders. 

In  the  evening  there  was  to  be  a  great  feast. 
Kids  must  be  roasted,  bread  baked,  corn  parched, 
and  porridge  mixed  so  that  every  guest  should 
have  plenty.  Ointment  must  be  at  hand  with 
which  to  anoint  the  beards  of  the  venerable 
men,  and  many  jars  of  fresh  water  must  be 
ready  so  that  every  visitor  might  have  his  feet 
washed. 

Some  of  you  are  exclaiming,  "What,  wash 
the  guest's  feet!  Doesn't  everyone  at  a  party 
have  clean  feet?" 

Yes,  in  your  day.  Remember  you  wear 
shoes  and  walk  on  dry  pavements.  But  in  the 
time  of  our  story  such  a  thing  as  a  stocking  was 
unknown,  and  a  sandal  covering  only  the  sole 
of  the  foot  and  fastened  to  toe  or  ankle  was  all 
that  was  ever  worn  on  the  foot.  When  people 
traveled  a  long  distance,  walking  up  and  down 
hill,  through  mud  or  dust,  through  wet  marshes 
or  over  dry  desert  sands,  they  were  weary  and 
footsore,  and  the  feet  were  not  pleasant  to  look 
at  when  the  journey's  end  was  reached.  So  you 
see  it  was  very  refreshing  to  the  guest  and  a 


4  OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

mark  of  respect  on  the  part  of  the  host  to  have 
his  visitors'  feet  washed. 

Our  dinner  party  was  in  the  age  when  the 
world  was  new  and  the  day  of  history  had  just 
begun  to  dawn.  Schools  and  houses  there  were 
none,  for  the  people  roamed  about  so  much  that 
tents  which  could  be  easily  carried  were  the  most 
convenient  things  to  live  in.  The  father,  the 
head  of  the  family,  was  both  king  and  priest 
until,  as  its  members  increased,  there  grew  a 
tribe  and  then  a  nation.  In  those  long-ago 
times  there  were  no  conveniences.  People  had 
to  walk  perhaps  half  a  mile  for  a  jar  of  water, 
or,  still  worse,  they  might  have  to  journey  a 
day  or  more  before  finding  a  spring  or  well. 
Their  cattle,  their  bondmen  and  bondwomen, 
their  camels,  goats,  and  sheep  made  up  their 
wealth.  Yes,  they  had  gold  and  silver,  but  as 
there  was  so  little  to  buy  there  was  not  much 
need  of  those  metals. 

Do  you  remember  getting  out  of  your  warm 
bed  in  the  chill  of  early  morning,  and  do  you 
recall  how  every  object  was  blurred,  veiled  in 
the  gray  morning-mist?  And  as  you  gazed  out 
of  your  window  a  solitary,  shadowy  figure 


THE  STORY  OF  HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL       5 

passing  along  the  dim,  misty  street  gave  you  a 
queer  feeling  as  though  something  strange  were 
happening.  So  things  appeared  in  the  early 
morning  time  of  history.  Commonplace  hap- 
penings in  those  days  seemed  unusual  events. 

The  day  on  which  our  story  opens  meant 
much  to  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  household. 
He  sat  in  the  door  of  his  tent  holding  a  little  lad 
between  his  knees  and  softly  stroking  his  hair 
as  the  child  looked  lovingly  into  his  face.  Little 
Isaac  was  about  three  years  old,  had  just  been 
weaned,  and  the  feast  of  the  evening  was  to  be 
given  in  his  honor.  Soon  his  mother,  Sarah, 
appeared,  holding  out  to  Isaac  a  tempting  mor- 
sel of  bread;  then,  taking  him  from  his  father's 
arms,  she  hailed  a  slender,  dark-eyed  boy  pass- 
ing the  tent  leading  a  donkey.  "Ishmael,  let 
Isaac  have  a  ride  on  your  donkey,"  she  said. 

The  boy  stopped  and,  placing  the  child 
astride  the  animal's  back,  led  the  donkey  out 
into  the  pasture.  The  baby  clapped  his  hands 
in  glee,  but  not  once  did  a  smile  from  Ishmael 
reward  the  little  fellow's  efforts  to  be  friendly. 

"How  disagreeable  he  must  have  been!" 
some  of  you  are  saying.  But  wait  before  you 


6  OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

judge.  It  is  so  much  easier  and  far  more  com- 
fortable to  be  smiling  and  happy  that. when  we 
see  a  face  that  cannot  light  up  with  a  smile  we 
may  be  sure  there  is  some  reason  for  it.  Per- 
haps if  we  knew  the  reason  we  would  think 
kindly  instead  of  being  severe. 

Possibly  some  of  you  can  remember  being 
told  one  day  that  your  nose  was  broken;  and 
when  you  indignantly  denied  it,  you  were 
shown  a  shapeless  bundle  of  flannel  out  of  which 
peeped  a  small  red  face — the  face  of  the  new 
brother  or  sister.  Gradually  you  began  to 
realize  that  the  newcomer  was  getting  a  great 
deal  of  the  attention  that  used  to  be  yours.  If 
you  remember  such  an  experience  you  can 
sympathize  with  Ishmael.  He  was  Abraham's 
eldest  son,  and  his  mother  was  Hagar,  the 
Egyptian  bondwoman,  Sarah's  maid.  In  the 
time  of  our  story  a  man  had  more  than  one 
wife,  and  one  usually  was  loved  much  more 
than  the  others.  Abraham  loved  Sarah,  the 
free  woman,  more,  much  more,  than  the  bond- 
maid Hagar. 

Surely  two  persons  among  the  merrymakers 
at  the  feast  were  not  happy.  Hagar 's  heart 


THE  STORY  OF  HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL      7 

must  have  burned  with  a  sense  of  injustice. 
Was  not  her  boy,  Ishmael,  Abraham's  son,  and 
was  he  not  entitled  to  some  attention?  Had 
she  not  been  promised  that  her  son  should  found 
a  great  nation  and  inherit  some  of  Abraham's 
wealth?  Why  this  feast  for  the  child  Isaac? 
Were  she  and  her  son  to  be  neglected  before  the 
guests? 

With  such  thoughts  in  her  mind  it  is  not 
surprising  that  Hagar  looked  cross  and  forbid- 
ding as  she  served  her  master  and  mistress  and 
their  friends.  Ishmael  caught  his  mother's 
spirit  and  rebelled  against  all  the  attention  and 
praise  being  given  to  his  baby  half-brother. 
Abraham  and  Sarah  with  their  guests  gave  all 
their  praise  to  the  little  Isaac,  for  God  had 
promised  Abraham,  "In  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be 
called." 

Ishmael  could  no  longer  control  his  hot 
temper,  and  with  scornful  laughter  he  ridiculed 
the  guests  and  their  praise  of  Isaac. 

Sarah,  never  very  kind  to  Hagar  or  Ishmael, 
rose  to  her  feet,  her  face  darkened  with  anger 
as  she  spitefully  demanded  of  Abraham,  "Cast 
out  this  handmaid  and  her  son:  for  the  son  of 


8  OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

this  handmaid  shall  not  be  heir  with  my  son, 
even  with  Isaac." 

The  guests,  awed  by  her  jealous  fury,  were 
silent,  and  Abraham,  really  tender-hearted,  at 
first  objected  to  her  command.  Was  it  possi- 
ble that  Sarah  could  not  see  that  there  was 
enough  for  both  the  boys?  Did  she  not  realize 
that  the  son  of  a  free  woman  would  of  course 
have  the  better  and  larger  share?  The  bond- 
maid had  done  no  harm:  she  had  been  faith- 
ful in  her  service.  Why  deprive  her  and  her 
son  of  the  portion  which  belonged  to  them? 
These  must  have  been  Abraham's  thoughts,  for 
the  Bible  states  that  he  was  grieved  because  of 
Sarah's  demand. 

But  at  last  he  yielded.  Abraham  must  have 
thought  that  the  dreary  desert  with  God  to 
care  for  them,  was  safer  than  his  household  over 
which  was  a  jealous  woman  determined  that 
neither  Hagar  nor  Ishmael  should  share  any- 
thing with  Isaac. 

When  morning  came  again,  and  the  star  of 
dawn  still  hung  in  the  heavens,  Abraham  arose 
and  called  Hagar.  He  had  to  tell  her  that  she 
and  her  son  must  go,  that  no  longer  could  his 


THE  STORY  OF  HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL   9 

home  and  that  of  Sarah  shelter  both  her  boy  and 
the  little  Isaac. 

Hagar  pressed  her  lips  tightly  together  and 
fire  shot  from  her  eyes.  But  she  was  silent  as 
she  received  the  water-filled  skin  which  served 
for  a  bottle,  and  not  only  her  shoulders  but 
Ishmael's  were  heavy  laden  with  the  bread 
Abraham  gave  them.  Side  by  side,  deserted 
by  everything  human,  they  turned  their  faces 
toward  the  wilderness.  Their  footsteps,  at 
first  quickened  because  of  anger  at  the  wrong 
done  them,  grew  slower  and  slower  as  the  home 
which  had  sheltered  them  faded  from  view  and 
the  wilderness  with  its  unknown  terrors  lay 
before  them. 

The  sun  rose  higher  and  higher  in  the 
heavens;  its  heat  made  the  stones  of  the  earth 
hot.  The  bottle  of  water  was  soon  empty;  not 
that  they  had  drunk  so  much,  but  on  a  hot  day 
skin  bottles  sweat  even  more  than  our  earthen 
and  silver  pitchers,  and  the  water  had  evapo- 
rated rapidly  and  dried  the  skin. 

Ishmael's  endurance  was  at  an  end.  True, 
he  was  about  sixteen  years  old,  but  he  had 
always  had  tender  care,  and  plenty.  The  hours 

2 


io          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

spent  in  this  burning  wilderness  with  little  shade 
and  no  water  were  beginning  to  tell  on  his 
strength.  His  thirst  was  unbearable;  his  lips 
were  blistered,  and  already  his  swollen  tongue 
so  filled  his  mouth  that  speech  was  impossible. 
He  stumbled  and  fell.  His  mother  raised  him 
to  his  feet  and  again  he  took  a  few  steps  forward. 
Once  more  he  fell,  this  time  rising  with  greater 
difficulty,  only  to  totter  feebly  for  a  step  or 
two  and  then  to  fall  face  downward  upon  the 
ground. 

Hagar's  face,  drawn  and  white,  was  piteous 
in  its  despair  as  she  dragged  his  limp  body  close 
to  some  scanty  shrubbery.  There  she  left  him 
that  she  might  not  hear  his  hopeless  call  for 
water  nor  be  present  when  his  eyes  should  close 
forever.  Then  she  bowed  her  head  and  burst 
into  agonized  weeping.  It  seemed  to  help  her. 
She  grew  calm  and  seemed  to  be  listening.  Yes, 
in  the  quiet,  after  her  grief  was  spent,  there  was 
in  her  heart  a  voice  speaking;  and  into  her 
mind  there  came  the  remembrance  of  God's 
care  and  his  promise  that  Ishmael  should  be  the 
father  of  a  great  nation.  What  was  it  the 
voice  said? 


THE  STORY  OF  HAGAR  AND  ISHMAEL    n 

"What  aileth  thee,  Hagar?  fear  not;  for 
God  hath  heard  the  voice  of  the  lad  where  he 
is.  Arise,  lift  up  the  lad,  and  hold  him  in  thy 
hand;  for  I  will  make  him  a  great  nation." 

She  looked  around  her.  Had  anger  and  fear 
so  filled  her  mind  that  she  had  forgotten  this 
desolate  place  was  the  wilderness  of  Beer-sheba, 
a  bleak,  uninhabited  tract,  but  possessing 
many  wells  of  refreshing  water?  Then  God 
opened  her  eyes,  and  she  saw — what  she  might 
have  seen  before — a  well  of  water.  Quickly 
rising,  she  filled  the 'bottle  and  held  it  to  the 
boy's  lips.  Oh,  that  refreshing  drink!  that 
clear,  life-giving  draught  of  sparkling  water! 
Do  you  wonder  that  Isaiah,  the  prophet,  likening 
trust  in  God  to  a  well  of  living  water,  said, 
"God  is  my  salvation;  I  will  trust,  and  will 
not  be  afraid;  for  Jehovah,  even  Jehovah,  is  my 
strength  and  song;  and  he  is  become  my  salva- 
tion. Therefore  with  joy  shall  ye  draw  water 
out  of  the  wells  of  salvation." 

As  the  evening  shadows  fell,  Hagar  and 
Ishmael  ate  their  remaining  bread  and  made 
themselves  comfortable  for  the  night.  God  had 
heard ;  His  promise  had  been  kept.  Water  had 


12          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

come  to  them  in  their  distress  and  now,  although 
alone,  friendless,  without  shelter,  they  felt  at 
rest.  Hagar  knew  that  when  morning  should 
come  again,  the  God  who  had  opened  her  eyes 
to  see  the  well  would  also  guide  her  feet  to  a 
home  for  her  child  and  for  herself. 

Ishmael  remained  always  a  dweller  in  the 
wilderness.  What  to  others  was  nothing  but 
a  barren  waste  became  to  him  a  home  and  coun- 
try. In  the  wilderness  he  and  Hagar  found 
every  need  supplied.  Cast  out  from  one  home, 
they  walked  straightway  into  another.  It  was 
in  this  wilderness  that  Ishmael  founded  the 
nation  God  had  promised  him.  He  was  always 
a  wanderer  but  never  without  home  or  kindred. 
The  Arabs  of  today  as  they  pitch  their  tents  in 
the  desert  will  tell  you  they  are  the  children  of 
Ishmael.  Could  we  draw  aside  the  curtain  of 
years  which  hide  these  ages  so  long  past,  and 
could  we  speak  with  these  two  people  deserted 
by  man  but  blessed  by  God,  I  am  sure  each  one 
would  tell  us  that  faith  in  God  makes  every 
good  thing  possible. 


JACOB'S   DREAM 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  ladder  that  reached  the  sky. 
Then  I  would  go  up  to  the  top  and  see  what  was 
there."  So  said  a  boy  whose  eyes  sparkled  with 
delight  after  an  evening's  talk  and  study  of  the 
stars.  That  was  many  years  ago.  The  boy  is 
a  man  now,  and  it  may  be  that  he  has  found  a 
ladder  such  as  he  desired. 

For  there  are  ladders  that  reach  the  sky, 
many  of  them — no,  not  made  of  wood  which 
you  have  to  climb,  but  very  much  better  and 
safer,  for  they  have  this  advantage,  there  is  no 
danger  of  falling  off  and  getting  hurt. 

Did  you  ever  visit  an  observatory  and  look 
at  the  moon  through  a  telescope?  Didn't  your 
breath  come  in  little  gasps  of  astonishment  as 
the  great  ladder  of  glass  let  your  eyes  climb  to 
the  sky  and  pry  into  the  moon's  secrets?  The 
telescope  is  one  kind  of  a  ladder,  and  a  fine  one; 
but  there  is  another  and  better  one.  It  is  of 
this  one  that  I  am  going  to  tell  you.  A  boy 

13 


i4         OLD   TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

found  it  and  used  it,  and  when  you  read  about 
him  you  will  know  how  to  find  such  a  ladder 
for  yourself. 

His  name  was  Jacob,  and  he  lived  before 
there  was  any  such  thing  as  a  king  or  a  queen 
or  a  president.  There  was  no  government  at 
all  except  the  law  which  the  head  of  the  family 
made  for  himself  and  his  children  and  all 
his  descendants.  It  was  what  was  called 
the  patriarchal  age.  Then  all  the  different 
relatives  lived  together  as  one  large  family,  or 
tribe,  and  were  ruled  by  the  father,  or  possibly 
the  great-grandfather,  of  them  all.  His  word 
was  law.  No  one  ever  thought  of  disputing  it. 
His  sons,  themselves  often  white-haired  men, 
obeyed  him  as  a  little  three-year-old  child  obeys 
its  parents  today. 

In  the  "beginning  time,"  as  we  call  the 
patriarchal  age,  there  were  no  priests  and  no 
churches.  Each  family  had  its  own  altar, 
around  which  the  family  gathered  while  the 
father,  or  the  eldest  son  if  the  father  were 
absent,  performed  the  service. 

Upon  the  death  of  the  father  the  eldest  son 
succeeded  him  in  authority,  receiving  a  double 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY  15 

share  of  his  property.  It  was  the  same  then  as 
it  is  now  in  countries  where  there  are  kings; 
when  the  king  dies  his  eldest  son  becomes  the 
ruler,  and  this  son's  brothers  and  sisters  become 
his  subjects  and  must  obey  him.  To  be  the 
first-born  son — girls  did  n't  count  —  and  to  have 
all  the  privileges  of  the  first-born  was  often  cov- 
eted by  the  younger  sons. 

The  two  boys  of  our  story  were  twins,  and 
as  different  from  each  other  as  black  is  from 
white.  Their  mother  had  no  difficulty  in  tell- 
ing them  apart  for  they  didn't  look  alike. 
Esau,  the  first-born  twin,  was  strong  and  sturdy 
and  a  great  hunter,  while  Jacob,  the  younger, 
was  a  quiet  but  keen-witted  boy  and  not  very 
strong.  Esau  was  rough  and  hairy,  but  Jacob's 
skin  was  smooth  and  soft.  Of  course  Rebecca, 
their  mother,  loved  Jacob  more  than  she  did  his 
sturdier  brother.  What  mother  does  not  feel 
more  tenderly  toward  the  child  she  thinks  is 
weaker  than  the  others? 

Their  father,  Isaac,  a  gentle  and  kindly  old 
man,  took  great  pride  in  the  strength  and 
power  of  his  elder  son,  Esau,  and  often  went 
with  him  to  the  fields  to  hunt.  Esau  was  a 


16          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

most  successful  hunter,  and  was  never  afraid 
even  of  the  fierce  wild  beasts  that  he  often 
met  while  he  was  chasing  the  harmless  wild 
animals. 

Sometimes  he  was  away  from  home  for  days 
at  a  time,  digging  pits  in  the  ground  or  setting 
traps  by  which  he  caught  the  deer.  He  carried 
nets  with  him  by  which  he  snared  the  birds,  and 
of  course  always  remembered  to  take  his  bow 
and  his  quiver  full  of  arrows. 

In  those  "beginning  days"  there  was  no 
convenient  market  around  the  corner  where  one 
might  buy  a  juicy  steak  or  tender  chop  and  have 
dinner  ready  in  half  an  hour.  In  those  days 
when  anyone  was  hungry  for  meat,  he  usually 
had  to  go  out  and  hunt  for  it,  and  then  kill  and 
dress  the  animal  before  it  was  ready  for  the  cook. 
Think  of  waiting  a  week  before  you  could  begin 
to  get  the  dinner! 

You  ask  why  people  did  not  use  the  sheep 
and  cattle  from  their  own  flocks  and  herds 
instead  of  hunting  wild  game?  Sometimes  the 
domestic  animals  were  killed  for  food,  but  not 
often.  Remember  that  a  man's  wealth  in  those 
days  was  counted  by  the  number  of  sheep, 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY   17 

goats,  camels,  and  cattle  he  possessed  and  also 
by  the  number  of  slaves  he  owned. 

"What  about  the  land?"  you  ask.  The 
people  moved  about  so  much  with  their  tents 
and  cattle  that  very  few  of  them  owned  much 
land.  They  had  not  reached  the  "settling 
down"  age.  Their  goats  and  cattle  gave  them 
milk  and  butter;  their  goat  skins  made  warm 
mantles  and  soft  beds.  Then,  too,  their  sheep 
and  goats  were  often  slaughtered  for  their  reli- 
gious services.  The  wild  animals  were  plenti- 
ful and  did  not  have  to  be  fed  or  cared  for;  they 
cost  the  people  nothing  but  the  labor  necessary 
to  hunt  them. 

Esau  had  been  away  on  one  of  his  hunting 
trips  and  had  caught  nothing.  Perhaps  the 
deer  had  broken  his  nets  and  he  had  found  his 
traps  and  pitfalls  empty,  or  the  birds  may  have 
flown  so  high  that  his  arrows  could  not  reach 
them.  Days  away  from  home  and  nothing  to 
take  back  with  him !  No  doubt  he  was  ashamed 
to  return  and  face  his  father,  who  was  so  proud 
of  him,  and  who  loved  to  eat  the  savory  food 
made  from  the  venison  Esau  brought  him. 
Sleeping  in  mountain  caves  or  out  in  the  open 


1 8          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

fields  wet  with  the  falling  dew  was  a  strain  on 
the  strongest  hunter.  Esau  must  have  been  so 
chilled  that  even  the  noonday  sun  did  not  warm 
him.  Added  to  this  was  his  disappointment  at 
getting  nothing  for  his  toil.  Enough  to  make 
anyone  tired  and  weak,  was  it  not? 

He  turned  slowly  homeward,  very  different 
from  the  happy  hunter  who  with  springing 
steps  usually  returned  laden  with  game.  His 
eyes  must  have  lighted  up  with  pleasure  when 
he  saw  Jacob  sitting  in  the  door  of  his  tent  eat- 
ing his  meal  of  red  lentil  pottage,  with  possibly 
a  bit  of  meat  in  it  and  flavored  with  onions. 
Jacob  was  a  thrifty  fellow,  with  always  enough 
and  to  spare.  He  would  take  pity  on  his  hungry 
brother  and  share  his  dinner  with  him,  thought 
Esau,  as  he  hastened  his  steps  and  greeted  Jacob. 

"Feed  me,  I  pray  thee,  with  that  same  red 
pottage;  for  I  am  faint,"  said  Esau. 

Jacob  looked  at  him  coldly.  There  was  no 
sympathy  for  his  brother  in  his  face  or  voice 
as  he  replied,  "Sell  me  first  thy  birthright." 

What  an  astonishing  request!  Who  but 
Jacob  would  ever  have  thought  of  buying  a 
birthright? 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY  19 

Esau  had  often  made  fun  of  his  brother  and 
his  quiet  habits.  Sometimes  he  had  felt  con- 
tempt for  his  timid  twin,  whose  only  weapons 
were  his  shepherd's  sling  and  his  staff.  But 
the  hunter  was  hungry;  he  was  now  the  weak 
one  and  Jacob  the  strong.  Jacob's  work  had 
been  protecting  the  weak,  while  Esau's  had 
been  slaying  the  strong  and  the  fierce.  We 
shall  see  which  made  the  stronger  man  of  the 
two,  the  one  whose  courage  slew  wild  beasts  or 
the  one  who  cared  for  the  gentle  sheep. 

Esau,  glorying  in  his  great  physical  strength 
and  the  power  it  gave  him,  recognizing  no  other 
force  but  that  which  belonged  to  his  muscles, 
was  impatient.  He  must  have  whatever  he 
wanted  at  once  or  he  was  likely  to  forget  that 
he  wanted  it.  But  Jacob  was  used  to  waiting. 
Out  under  the  silent  stars  when  he  guarded  his 
sheep  at  night  he  must  have  learned  the  lesson 
of  patience. 

Yes,  Jacob  had  used  his  thoughts  while  Esau 
had  used  his  muscles,  and  each  had  grown  in 
his  different  way.  Now  the  mighty  hunter 
was  sick  with  hunger.  This  frightened  him 
and  he  answered: 


20          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

"Behold,  I  am  about  to  die;  and  what 
profit  shall  the  birthright  do  to  me?"  Besides, 
he  may  have  thought,  the  blessing  of  the  birth- 
right is  a  long  way  off,  and  this  good  dinner  is 
right  at  hand. 

Foolish  Esau!  The  present  is  but  for  a 
moment,  the  birthright  is  for  a  lifetime.  Why 
can't  you  learn  from  the  brother  you  despise 
as  feeble?  Jacob  would  not  want  the  birthright 
if  it  were  worthless.  The  very  fact  that  he  val- 
ues it  should  teach  you  its  worth. 

But  no,  Esau  rushed  headlong  into  the 
trap  Jacob  had  set  for  him.  He  vowed  to  his 
brother  that  he  would  give  up  the  right  of  the 
first-born,  and  sat  comfortably  down  to  his 
mess  of  pottage. 

From  each  of  the  brothers  we  turn  sadly 
away — from  Jacob,  who  saw  in  his  brother's 
need  only  an  opportunity  for  his  own  selfish 
gain,  and  from  Esau,  who  had  no  thought  for 
the  responsibility  of  his  birthright  and  the 
duties  which  went  with  it.  He  traded  it  for 
a  moment's  pleasure  as  readily  as  a  baby  would 
drop  a  diamond  and  grasp  eagerly  at  a  scarlet 
pebble. 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY  21 

But  the  reckoning  time  came  to  each. 
Isaac,  their  father,  was  growing  old  and  wished 
to  give  Esau  the  blessing  due  the  first-born. 
Esau  made  himself  ready  to  receive  it.  He  had 
forgotten  his  bargain  with  Jacob — forgotten 
that,  according  to  that  bargain,  he  had  for- 
feited the  blessing.  Even  had  Esau  remem- 
bered that  he  had  sold  his  birthright,  he  who 
knew  no  other  way  of  settling  a  difficulty  except 
with  a  sword,  probably  felt  that  his  peaceful 
brother  Jacob  would  not  contend  with  him. 
Again  did  Esau  make  a  great  mistake.  His 
fists  were  powerful,  but  they  could  not  battle 
against  Jacob's  wits. 

Jacob,  with  the  help  of  his  mother,  Rebekah, 
cheated  his  brother  out  of  the  blessing  by  a 
trick,  and  his  father  bestowed  on  him  the  rights 
of  the  first-born. 

Esau  was  angry,  bitterly  angry,  at  the  fraud 
his  brother  had  practiced,  and  threatened  to 
kill  Jacob  as  soon  as  their  father  should  die. 
Rebekah  was  badly  frightened  when  she  heard 
Esau's  threat.  In  haste  she  called  Jacob  and 
told  him  to  go  at  once  to  his  uncle  Laban's 
home  in  Paddan-aram. 


22          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

"Tarry  with  him  a  few  days,  until  thy 
brother's  fury  turn  away;  until  thy  brother's 
anger  turn  away  from  thee,  and  he  forget  that 
which  thou  hast  done  to  him;  then  I  will  send 
and  fetch  thee  from  thence;  why  should  I  be 
bereaved  of  you  both  in  one  day?" 

Rebekah  knew  her  elder  son's  nature. 
Esau  was  quickly  angry  and  as  quickly  over  it. 
Whatever  he  said  or  did  was  hasty.  Esau 
acted  twice  before  he  thought,  whereas  Jacob 
thought  once,  twice,  and  probably  many  times 
before  he  acted. 

Poor  mother!  That  which  she  feared  came 
upon  her.  The  tricks  she  had  used  to  keep  her 
sons  separated  them  forever  from  her. 

Rebekah  had  been  obliged  to  make  some 
excuse  to  get  Jacob  away  from  home,  so  she  had 
said  to  Isaac,  and  probably  to  curious  neigh- 
bors: "I  am  weary  of  my  life  because  of  the 
daughters  of  Heth;  if  Jacob  take  a  wife  of  the 
daughters  of  Heth,  such  as  these,  of  the  daugh- 
ters of  the  land,  what  good  shall  my  life  do  me?" 
Then  Jacob's  father  had  said  to  him,  "Go  to 
Paddan-aram  ....  and  take  thee  a  wife  from 
thence  of  the  daughters  of  Laban  thy  mother's 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY  23 

brother."  And  Jacob  went,  after  receiving 
from  his  father  an  added  blessing. 

Rebekah  would  not  have  smiled  so  brightly 
the  morning  she  kissed  Jacob  good-by  had  she 
known  that  she  was  never  to  look  upon  his  face 
again.  She  must  have  stood  and  watched  as 
he  made  his  way  across  the  plain  that  she 
might  see  him  wave  his  staff  just  before  he  dis- 
appeared among  the  shadows  of  the  rocks.  It 
was  a  long,  tedious  journey  from  Beer-sheba, 
Jacob's  home,  to  the  home  of  his  uncle  in 
Paddan-ararn,  and  one  beset  by  many  dangers 
for  a  lonely  traveler. 

Although  Jacob's  friends  and  neighbors  prob- 
ably called  him  dutiful,  he  knew  better.  He 
was  being  driven  from  home  through  fear  of 
his  brother.  He  saw  that  the  birthright  he 
had  bought,  instead  of  at  once  giving  him  the 
ease  and  comfort  of  the  eldest  son,  had  really 
cost  him  his  home  and  made  him  a  wanderer. 
He  was  a  thinker,  but  he  had  to  learn  what 
King  Solomon  said  years  afterward:  "Guard 
ever  your  thoughts  with  all  care,  for  from  them 
come  the  issues  of  life." L 

1  Ferrar  Fenton 


24          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

He  had  quite  as  much  contempt  for  his 
brother  Esau  as  that  brother  had  for  him. 
Esau  cares  for  nothing  but  physical  things, 
thought  Jacob;  he  is  rash  and  hasty  and  uses 
his  sword  too  often. 

Yes,  Jacob,  but  your  brother  has  used  his 
strength  honestly.  In  that  he  is  better  than 
you  who  have  used  your  strength  dishonestly. 
You  have  not  yet  heard  the  commandment: 
"Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  Jehovah  thy 
God  in  vain."  That  means,  you  shall  not  misuse 
any  gift  which  God  has  bestowed  upon  you. 
You  have  used  your  head,  while  Esau  the  light- 
hearted  has  used  his  fists.  But  you,  with  the 
birthright  you  have  bought,  are  an  outcast, 
while  Esau  rests  safely  at  home. 

The  journey  was  long,  the  way  often  rough 
and  dangerous.  The  gleaming  eyes  of  hungry 
beasts  that  prowled  close  to  his  nightly  fires,  and 
the  howls  of  wolves  eager  for  their  prey,  kept 
Jacob  awake  at  night.  By  daylight,  men,  often 
more  cruel  than  the  beasts,  might  attack  him 
unless  he  was  so  fortunate  as  to  fall  in  with 
a  slowly-moving  caravan.  Now  and  then  a 
solitary  traveler  would  overtake  him  and  offer 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY  25 

him  a  ride  upon  his  camel.  Then  their  ways 
would  part  and  Jacob  would  be  left  alone  again. 

One  evening,  weary  and  heartsick,  he  paused 
to  rest.  The  place  seemed  safe  and  free  from 
fierce  wild  beasts.  It  would  make,  he  thought, 
a  good  place  to  sleep  for  the  night.  He  built 
his  fire  and  shivered  as  he  held  his  hands  out 
toward  the  blaze.  The  sun  had  set,  and  long 
shadows  began  to  creep  along  the  ground;  the 
hills  were  throwing  their  blanket  over  the  valley 
for  the  night.  What  was  more  natural  than 
that  Jacob  should  be  thinking  of  his  mother! 
It  was  the  hour  when  the  family  would  be  eat- 
ing their  evening  meal  and  laughing  gaily  as 
they  sat  around  the  overflowing  bowl  which 
contained  their  supper,  and  into  which  they 
dipped  their  hands  as  they  helped  themselves. 
He  closed  his  eyes  to  make  the  vision  more 
real,  but  the  howl  of  a  wolf  from  the  distant 
rocks  and  the  scream  of  a  lone  wild  bird  roused 
him  from  his  reverie  and  made  him  realize  his 
solitude. 

Of  what  was  he  thinking?  That  the  birth- 
right for  which  he  had  so  carefully  planned 
had  so  far  brought  him  only  misery.  He  was 
3 


26          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

beginning  to  see  that  God's  gifts  cannot  be 
bought;  they  must  be  earned. 

According  to  oriental  custom,  he  could  not 
give  back  the  birthright.  It  was  his,  and  he 
must  keep  it.  Hard  as  it  weighed  upon  him, 
he  knew  that  he  must  give  his  life  for  the  pur- 
chase he  had  made. 

How?     Wait,  the  story  will  tell  us. 

The  place  where  he  camped  was  rough,  stony 
ground,  but  it  was  better  than  the  dampness 
of  the  field.  He  found  a  stone  which  would 
make  him  a  pillow,  and,  resting  his  head  upon 
it,  he  fell  asleep — then  he  found  the  ladder. 

"But  that  was  only  a  dream,"  some  of  you 
may  say. 

What  matters  it?  If  one  finds  in  a  dream 
that  for  which  he  is  looking,  is  it  not  as  good 
as  finding  it  in  the  waking  hours?  Of  what 
had  he  been  thinking  when  he  lay  down  to 
sleep?  Turn  back  in  the  story  and  it  will 
tell  you.  He  was  beginning  to  see  what  you  will 
remember  the  prophet  Micah  said  years  after- 
ward: "He  hath  showed  thee,  O  man,  what  is 
good;  and  what  doth  Jehovah  require  of  thee, 
but  to  do  justly,  and  to  love  kindness?" 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY  27 

Birthrights  were  nothing.  It  was  character 
which  counted.  Jacob,  the  homesick  wanderer, 
knowing  that  he  needed  to  be  shown  a  better 
way  than  the  one  he  had  tried,  was  then  taught 
of  God. 

"And  he  dreamed;  and,  behold,  a  ladder 
set  upon  the  earth,  and  the  top  of  it  reached 
to  heaven;  and,  behold,  the  angels  of  God 
ascending  and  descending  on  it.  And,  behold, 
Jehovah  stood  above  it." .... 

Tortured  and  tormented  as  he  had  been  by 
fear  of  his  brother,  obliged  to  make  this  journey 
which  exposed  him  to  the  many  dangers  from 
which  he  shrank,  Jacob  learned  in  his  dream 
that  earth  is  not  after  all  so  very  far  from 
heaven.  God's  presence,  as  a  ladder  reaching 
from  heaven  to  earth,  is  over  all.  "Heaven  is 
my  throne,  and  the  earth  is  my  footstool." 

The  mean  thoughts  of  envy  and  selfish  love 
of  gain  were  being  stilled  as  the  messengers  of 
God  descending  and  ascending  whispered  to 
him  of  kindliness,  mercy,  and  truth. 

Yes,  Jacob  knew  that  the  God  who  had  called 
Abraham  and  had  blessed  his  father,  Isaac, 
was  now  speaking  to  him,  and  into  his  softened 


28          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

heart  there  crept  the  certainty  of  the  promise: 
"I  am  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Abraham  thy  father 
and  the  God  of  Isaac;  the  land  whereon  thou 
liest,  to  thee  will  I  give  it,  and  to  thy  seed ;  and 
thy  seed  shall  be  as  the  dust  of  the  earth,  and 
thou  shalt  spread  abroad  to  the  west,  and  to 
the  east,  and  to  the  north,  and  to  the  south: 
and  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  families 
of  the  earth  be  blessed." 

"Be  blessed!"  There  must  be  some  change 
in  him  before  he  could  be  a  source  of  blessing. 
So  far  he  had  blessed  neither  his  own  family 
nor  himself.  He  was  a  fugitive  from  home  and 
dared  not  return.  He  had  gone  out  with  the 
curse  of  his  brother's  hatred  resting  upon  him. 
But  he  meant  to  return,  and  if  God  would  be 
with  him  in  his  home-coming,  that  return  should 
be  a  blessing  to  all.  He  had  thought  only  of 
himself  and  his  own  gain,  until  into  his  awakened 
heart  there  crept  a  desire — faint  at  first,  but  it 
was  there — to  be  of  use  to  others. 

God  promised  more  to  Jacob  than  the  land 
upon  which  he  slept.  His  descendants  should 
not  only  inherit  all  this  beautiful  country  but 
He  also  assured  Jacob  that  Jehovah  his  God 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY   29 

should  always  be  with  him.  "And,  behold,  I 
am  with  thee,  and  will  keep  thee  whithersoever 
thou  goest,  and  will  bring  thee  again  into  this 
land ;  for  I  will  not  leave  thee,  until  I  have  done 
that  which  I  have  spoken  to  thee  of." 

The  vision  faded.  Jacob  awoke,  but  he  was 
a  very  different  man  from  the  Jacob  who  fell 
asleep.  The  loneliness  and  grief  had  gone,  and 
a  trust  in  a  Power  higher  than  any  he  had  ever 
known  was  comforting  him. 

"Surely,"  he  said,  "Jehovah  is  in  this 
place ;  and  I  knew  it  not  ....  this  is  none 
other  than  the  house  of  God,  and  this  is  the 
gate  of  heaven." 

The  sun  was  just  peeping  over  the  hilltops 
when  Jacob  arose  and  began  to  get  ready  for 
his    day's    travel.     The    morning    air    smelled 
sweet  and  fresh;  everything  seemed  happy  and 
gay.     Had  he  been  David,  he  would  have  said, 
"The  mountains  skipped  like  rams, 
The  little  hills  like  lambs." 

The  birds  were  singing,  and  as  the  sun  rose 
higher  it  shot  its  golden  rays  directly  across  the 
stone  which  he  had  used  for  his  pillow,  making 
it  glitter  and  sparkle  in  the  sunshine.  Jacob 


30          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

lifted  it  up  and,  drawing  a  flask  from  the  pouch 
he  carried,  he  poured  oil  upon  it  and  made  a 
vow  to  Jehovah :  "If  God  will  be  with  me,  and 
will  keep  me  in  this  way  that  I  go,  and  will 
give  me  bread  to  eat,  and  raiment  to  put  on,  so 
that  I  come  again  to  my  father's  house  in  peace, 
and  Jehovah  will  be  my  God,  then  this  stone, 
which  I  have  set  up  for  a  pillar,  shall  be  God's 
house;  and  of  all  that  thou  shalt  give  me  I  will 
surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee." 

"There  he  is  bargaining  again,"  I  hear  some 
of  you  say.  But  remember,  his  good  reso- 
lutions are  new.  Do  you  expect  him  to  be 
perfect  at  once?  Why,  that  is  more  than  we 
ourselves  do.  The  people  we  find  between  the 
leaves  of  our  Bible  are  like  us,  and  in  them  we 
see  ourselves  as  though  we  were  looking  in  a 
mirror.  Do  you  say  Jacob  hasn't  changed  any? 
Read  again  the  vow  he  made  to  Jehovah. 
What  did  he  promise? 

"I  will  surely  give  the  tenth  unto  thee." 

Think  of  it,  the  grasping  Jacob,  whose  eyes 

have  looked  with  no  pity  on  another  when  that 

other's  need  could  be  turned  to  his  own  gain! 

The  small,  narrow  soul  which  wished  only  to 


A  LADDER  THAT  REACHED  THE  SKY   31 

get  something  is  beginning  to  think  of  giving, 
and  that  generously. 

From  this  time  on  Jacob's  life  was  one  of 
service.  It  was  in  this  way  that  he  had  to  give 
his  life.  For  twenty  years  he  served  his  uncle 
Laban,  fourteen  years  for  his  wives,  Leah  and 
Rachel,  and  six  years  for  his  flocks  and  herds. 
Yes,  he  did  wrong  during  those  twenty  years, 
but  he  never  forgot  the  lesson  of  the  ladder  - 
the  love  of  God  means  service. 

In  serving,  Jacob  earned  the  birthright  he 
had  bought.  Through  service  he  at  last 
deserved  it.  Esau  with  his  sword  became  the 
conqueror  of  another  people  and  drove  them 
from  their  land  and  country.  On  him  the  bless- 
ing could  not  rest.  Jacob  in  blessing  others 
was  blessed  himself;  in  serving  others  he  him- 
self was  served. 

Twenty  years  was  he  away  from  home.     The 
lessons  of  those  years  were  often  hard  and  bitter, 
but  through  them  all  he  served.     The  ladder 
which  reaches  from  earth  to  sky  is  service— 
giving  instead  of  getting. 

Jacob  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  heavenly 
ladder.  Years  afterward  the  seed  of  Jacob, 


32          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

in  whom  should  all  the  families  of  the  earth  be 
blessed,  said  on  the  sunny  slopes  of  the  Judean 
hills,  "I  am  in  the  midst  of  you  as  he  that 
serveth." 


HIS   LITTLE  SISTER 

MIRIAM  AND  MOSES 

Two  small  figures  crept  cautiously  along 
the  banks  of  the  river.  The  banks  were  wet  and 
marshy  and  their  bare  feet  sank  into  the  muddy 
slime.  Splash!  What  was  that?  The  girl  drew 
the  boy  down  beside  her  as  she  crouched  low  to 
hide  herself  and  him  among  the  tall,  thick 
reeds.  But  it  was  nothing — only  a  bird 
napping  its  wings  in  some  shallow  pool  near 
by.  The  boy  was  wet  and  tired.  He  was 
but  three  years  old  and  his  little  feet  had 
dragged  themselves  through  these  rank  marshes 
all  day.  Often  his  lips  quivered  as  he  looked  up 
at  his  sister,  and  great  tears  silently  rolled  down 
his  baby  cheeks.  Not  a  sound  did  he  utter.  No, 
little  Aaron  knew  better  than  to  cry.  He  and 
his  sister  and  his  parents  were  slaves.  A  sound 
from  him  and  the  Egyptians  would  know  where 
he  was,  and  even  his  baby  heart  knew  what  that 
meant.  Had  he  not  seen  his  father  brutally 
whipped  because  he  had  not  furnished  his  mas- 
ters with  all  the  bricks  they  had  told  him  to 
make — that  father  who  already  staggered  under 

33 


34          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

labor  that  was  too  severe  for  him?  Once,  too, 
he  had  hidden  his  face  in  his  mother's  lap  so 
that  he  should  not  see  a  young  lad  bound  to  the 
ground  with  feet  upturned  while  the  cruel  bas- 
tinado or  stick  had  beaten  the  naked  soles  until 
they  bled,  and  the  lad  was  whipped  only  because 
he  had  told  the  overseer  that  bricks  could  not 
be  made  without  straw.  It  was  the  memory  of 
these  scenes  that  made  the  little  fellow  trudge 
silently  on.  Holding  fast  to  his  sister's  gown 
with  one  hand,  with  the  other  he  tightly  clutched 
the  hem  of  his  loose  cotton  shirt,  which,  doubled 
up,  held  pieces  of  reeds  he  was  carrying  home  to 
his  mother.  What  she  wanted  of  these  coarse 
stalks  he  did  not  know,  but  he  remembered 
that  every  time  he  had  laid  one  in  her  hand  she 
had  kissed  him. 

As  soon  as  the  young  girl  was  satisfied  that 
it  was  a  bird  and  not  an  Egyptian  that  had 
frightened  her,  she  rose  from  the  ground  and 
went  on  breaking  the  great  stalks  of  the  tall 
reeds  and  putting  them  into  the  loose  folds  of 
the  gown  she  wore.  It  was  a  very  convenient 
dress,  really  a  sack  whose  ample  folds  she  could 
throw  over  her  arm  and  use  as  a  basket. 


HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  35 

"We  are  nearly  through,  Aaron,"  she  said 
to  the  boy,  "and  then  we  will  go  home  to  mother 
and  eat  some  of  that  nice  hot  pottage." 

"I  don't  want  to  come  here  any  more," 
replied  the  child. 

"No,  we  have  enough  reeds  now — all  that 
mother  needs  for  the  little  boat  she  is  making," 
answered  his  sister  Miriam. 

Farther  and  farther  from  the  shore  and  into 
deeper  water  they  waded,  until  Miriam,  part- 
ing the  bulrushes  with  both  hands,  looked  out 
upon  a  quiet  sheet  of  water.  It  was  a  peace- 
ful little  inlet  away  from  the  stronger  current 
of  the  river. 

Just  the  place  in  which  to  bathe,  she  thought, 
and  it  will  be  here  that  the  princess  will  want 
to  come  for  her  bath.  Reaching  out  her  hands, 
she  shook  some  reeds  close  by.  Yes,  they  were 
firm  and  strong.  The  little  boat  could  lie  safely 
hidden  among  them  and  yet  she  could  see  it,  for 
she  was  to  watch  and  see  what  became  of  it. 
Miriam  was  a  big  girl.  She  must  have  been 
every  day  of  ten  years  old,  and  that,  for  a  little 
Jewish  girl  in  those  days,  was  almost  a  grown-up 
woman. 


36 

Satisfied  that  she  had  found  the  right  place 
and  that  no  more  rushes  could  be  crowded  into 
their  frocks,  she  caught  the  boy's  hand  in  hers 
and  together  they  sped  swiftly  homeward.  Only 
once  on  their  way  did  they  dart  behind 
some  stones  and  wait  for  two  surly,  scowl- 
ing Egyptians  to  pass. 

"These  Hebrews  will  do  us  harm  if  we  do 
not  destroy  them,"  one  of  the  men  was  saying 
angrily. 

' '  They  are  more  in  number  now  than  we  are, ' ' 
added  his  companion. 

"It  is  fortunate  that  Pharaoh  ordered  all  of 
the  Hebrew  boy  babies  thrown  into  the  river," 
replied  the  first  spokesman. 

"That  and  bitter  slavery  will  soon  rid  us  of 
them,"  they  both  exclaimed  together  as  they 
passed  out  of  sight. 

As  their  angry  voices  died  away  in  the  dis- 
tance, Miriam  and  little  Aaron  slipped  from 
their  hiding  place  and  ran  swiftly  across  the 
meadows  to  the  mud  hut  they  called  their 
home.  Their  mother  was  at  the  door  waiting 
for  them,  and  her  tired  face  lighted  with  a 
smile  as  Miriam,  holding  up  the  reeds  she  had 


HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  37 

gathered,  exclaimed,  "We  can  finish  the  ark 
to-night  and  hide  the  baby  as  soon  as  the  pitch 
dries!" 

"The  morning  after  to-morrow  we  will  carry 
him  to  the  river,"  said  her  mother. 

"I  have  found  a  fine,  safe  spot  in  which  to 
place  the  boat.  The  river  cannot  harm  him 
there,"  Miriam  added. 

The  little  group  entered  the  house  and  soon 
all  were  seated  before  a  large  pot  of  steaming- 
hot  pottage.  Aaron  fell  asleep  while  he  was 
eating  and  was  tucked  away  under  some  hairy 
goatskins.  Hard  ground  beaten  down  firmly 
answered  for  his  bed,  with  perhaps,  if  the  family 
was  especially  fortunate,  a  few  more  of  the  rough 
skins  under  him. 

*  *  *  * 

The  night  and  another  day  passed.  Then 
came  evening,  the  last  one  in  which  the  mother 
dared  keep  her  child. 

Miriam  and  her  mother  sat  in  the  doorway, 
and  started  as  two  figures  came  toward  them 
out  of  the  darkness.  But  there  was  no  reason 
for  fear.  The  people  were  friends — just  Puah 
and  Shiphrah,  the  two  kind  Hebrew  nurses. 


3  8          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

One  of  them  was  carefully  carrying  a  bundle 
which  she  unrolled  before  them. 

"Oh,  isn't  he  beautiful!"  all  exclaimed  as 
the  sleeping  child,  Moses,  lay  resting  in  her  arms. 

"Beautiful,"  said  Shiphrah.  "No  baby  in 
Israel  is  half  so  fair.  The  neighbors  from  every 
house,  and  even  strangers,  have  begged  me  to 
show  him  to  them." 

"For  three  months  we  have  hidden  him," 
said  Jochebed,  his  mother,  "but  I  dare  not  do  it 
longer.  To-morrow  he  must  be  put  in  the  boat 
I  have  made  for  him  and  be  laid  in  the  bulrushes 
in  the  river." 

As  she  spoke  there  was  sadness  neither  in 
her  face  nor  in  her  voice.  All  looked  at  her, 
surprised  to  see  shining  in  her  eyes  a  light  that 
did  not  mean  fear. 

"I  have  called  upon  our  God,"  Jochebed 
said.  "Day  and  night  I  sought  His  counsel, 
until  one  night  when  all  was  still,  in  my  heart 
there  spake  His  voice  giving  me  my  answer." 

"To  put  the  child  in  the  river?"  questions 
Puah.  "Surely  not!" 

"Yes,  but  not  to  be  destroyed,"  answered 
Jochebed. 


THE  FINDING  OF  MOSES  AMONG  THE  BULRUSHES 


HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  39 

"I  have  been  told,"  said  Shiphrah,  "that 
Pharaoh's  daughter  grieves  constantly  because 
she  has  no  child,  and  she  has  been  married 
these  many  years." 

"What  has  that  to  do  with  the  baby?" 
inquired  Puah. 

Jochebed  answered,  "When  I  called  upon 
God  to  help  me  and  to  save  my  child,  he  showed 
me  the  way.  It  was  He  who  made  me  think  of 
Pharaoh's  daughter.  It  was  He  who  showed 
me  that  if  I  hid  the  little  one  in  the  rushes,  when 
the  king's  daughter  came  to  bathe  in  the  river 
she  might  find  him  and  take  him  for  her  own." 

"Surely  no  one  can  look  at  this  child,  fair 
before  God,  and  not  love  him,"  they  all  said. 

But  Puah  was  not  satisfied.  It  was  danger- 
ous, she  thought,  and  besides,  none  of  them  was 
sure  that  Pharaoh's  daughter  would  go  near 
that  spot  or  take  pity  on  the  baby  if  she  did 
find  him. 

"The  princess  is  an  Egyptian  and  we  are 
Hebrews.  They  have  shown  no  mercy  to  us. 
Why  do  you  expect  it  now?"  Puah  asked. 

The  mother  heart  of  Jochebed  knew  more 
than  Puah.  Did  she  not  know  the  charm  that 


40          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

lay  in  little  helpless  hands  and  trustful  baby 
eyes?  The  princess  desired  a  child.  Jochebed 's 
must  be  spared  the  death  decreed  by  an  envious 
king.  God's  answer  to  the  longing  hearts  of 
both  women  would  lie  in  the  ark  hidden  in  the 
reeds  of  the  rushing  river.  Jochebed  had  made 
the  boat  of  papyrus.  It  was  a  light  material 
often  used  for  little  skiffs  because  it  floated  so 
easily  and  swiftly  on  the  water.  The  Egyptians 
and  many  of  the  Hebrews  believed  that  the 
papyrus  was  a  charm  against  crocodiles,  with 
which  the  river  Nile  at  that  time  was  overrun. 

"Let  me  see  the  boat  you  have  been  making," 
said  Puah. 

From  under  some  goatskins  Jochebed  drew 
a  small  boat.  Inside  and  out  it  was  lined  and 
daubed  with  tar  and  asphalt.  Mother  love  and 
the  mother's  faith  had  enabled  her  to  melt  and 
mix  these  substances  and  make  water-tight 
the  tiny  skiff.  Jochebed  had  used  her  eyes  well. 
She  had  seen  the  Egyptians  make  boats  of  papy- 
rus and  had  noticed  the  way  they  had  mixed 
the  tar  and  asphalt  in  order  to  use  it  as  a  cement 
for  boats  and  buildings.  Night  after  night  and 
day  after  day  had  she  labored,  only  a  little  at  a 


HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  41 

time  for  fear  she  might  be  discovered,  until  now 
the  finished  boat  lay  before  her  ready  to  receive 
the  baby  boy  but  three  months  old.  Jochebed 
was  obeying  the  will  of  Pharaoh  in  giving  her 
child  to  the  river.  And  had  not  her  God  in 
whom  she  trusted  said  that  those  who  laid 
snares  for  others  would  themselves  fall  into  the 
pits  they  had  digged? 

Yes,  she  was  not  afraid.  God  was  watching, 
and  that  act  which  Pharaoh  meant  for  evil 
would  by  God's  help  result  in  good. 

*  *  *  * 

The  gray  mist  of  morning  was  creeping  up 
from  the  marshes  and  a  few  rosy  streaks  here 
and  there  showed  that  the  sun  was  bringing 
in  another  day  when  Jochebed  and  Miriam 
came  from  their  hut  and  walked  swiftly  toward 
the  river.  They  soon  reached  the  spot  Miriam 
had  found,  and  the  mother  carefully  laid  the 
boat  among  the  strongest  reeds.  Then  as  she 
unwrapped  the  shawl,  they  both  looked  down 
at  the  tiny  baby,  so  sweet  as  he  slept  restfully, 
unconscious  of  all  about  him.  Miriam  lifted 
one  of  the  tiny  hands  and  gently  kissed  it,  while 
the  mother,  after  pressing  the  baby  to  her, 

4 


42          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

stroked  his  cheeks  and  silently  laid  him  in  the 
boat  among  the  bulrushes.  Placing  the  cover 
over  him,  she  turned  away  and  her  lips  moved 
in  prayer.  We  may  all  know  what  that  prayer 
was,  for  the  New  Testament  has  told  us  that  it 
was  by  faith  that  Moses  was  hidden,  for  his  par- 
ents, Amram  and  Jochebed,  "were  not  afraid  of 
the  king's  commandment." 

Miriam,  his  little  sister,  was  left  to  watch, 
and  as  the  mist  lifted  and  the  sun  shone  clearly 
upon  the  dancing  ripples  of  the  river,  her  dark 
eyes  searched  every  part  of  the  shore  and  her 
ears  were  open  to  the  slightest  sound.  Yes,  she 
heard  laughter,  some  talking,  and  then  coming 
slowly  toward  her  were  Pharaoh's  daughter  and 
her  maids.  It  was  the  hour  for  the  morning 
bath.  How  carefree  they  were  as  they  stepped 
into  the  waters  gold- tinted  by  the  sun.  A 
little  slave  girl  was  watching.  Would  they  see 
the  boat?  she  asked  herself,  and  if  they  did, 
what  would  be  the  result — mercy  or  sacrifice? 

&ut  what  about  our  baby  in  the  skiff?  There 
was  a  gentle  heaving  of  the  water  and  a  swish 
that  made  a  fine  lullaby,  but  even  the  best  of 
lullabies  grows  tedious  when  baby  has  slept 


HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  43 

enough  and  knows  he  is  hungry.  Moses  wak- 
ened. Instead  of  a  smiling  face  above  him  as 
his  eyes  opened,  there  was  nothing  but  darkness. 
What  did  it  all  mean?  Never  before  had  any- 
thing like  this  happened  to  him;  not  once  had 
he  been  left  to  cry.  He  struck  out  his  tiny 
fists.  Nothing  warm  met  them;  only  a  hard, 
cold  thing  hurt  the  small  arms  as  they  stretched 
forward.  The  tiny  feet  drew  themselves  up 
and  then  kicked  briskly  at  the  foot  of  his  water 
cradle.  The  indignant  baby — if  you  children 
know  anything  about  babies  you  know  that  one 
but  three  months  old  can  be  very  indignant  and 
let  other  people  know  it,  besides — now  felt  that 
it  was  time  he  was  being  noticed,  so  feet  and 
hands  pounded  with  all  their  puny  might  against 
the  sides  of  his  boat. 

How  the  cradle  did  sway  and  rock!  Even 
the  princess  was  noticing  those  ripples  which 
came  from  that  clump  of  tall  rushes.  Crack! 
Snap!  The  reeds  had  broken,  and  out  into 
the  river  swept  the  boat  and  the  baby.  Some- 
thing more  than  reeds  snapped,  0  Egypt! 
While  the  sound  you  heard  may  have  seemed 
to  you  but  the  crackling  of  a  rush,  yet  with  it 


44 

by  God's  hand  were  broken  the  bonds  which 
held  Israel  captive.  It  was  more  than  a  help- 
less babe  which  the  current  of  the  Nile  bore 
down  to  the  watching  princess.  It  was  Moses, 
the  deliverer  of  his  people.  As  the  small  boat 
lodged  in  a  mass  of  tangled  rushes,  the  princess 
bade  one  of  her  maids  reach  out  and  draw  it  to 
shore.  With  eagerness  she  opened  the  box— 
it  was  really  more  like  a  box  than  a  boat  — 
and  her  heart  warmed  with  love  as  two  wet 
baby  eyes  looked  trustingly  into  hers. 

"This  is  one  of  the  Hebrew  children,"  she 
said,  and  over  her  face  passed  a  look  which 
Miriam,  running  toward  her,  saw  and  inter- 
preted aright,  for  the  little  sister  asked,  "Shall 
I  go  and  call  a  nurse  of  the  Hebrew  women, 
that  she  may  nurse  the  child  for  thee?" 

"Go,"  replied  the  princess,  and  Miriam's 
feet  flew  homeward.  Jochebed,  with  Shiphrah 
and  Puah,  was  waiting,  but  none  was  surprised 
as  Miriam's  flying  figure  came  toward  them 
with  arms  outstretched,  calling  out  as  she  ran, 
"It  is  well,  mother,  all  is  well!" 

Jochebed  and  her  husband  had  trusted  in 
God ;  they  had  believed  His  promises.  Jochebed 


HIS  LITTLE  SISTER  45 

outwardly  had  obeyed  the  king,  and  God  had 
given  back  into  her  arms  the  child  she  had 
trusted  to  Him. 

Again  by  the  riverside  she  received  her  child 
from  the  princess.  His  own  mother  was  to  be 
his  nurse,  while  Pharaoh's  daughter  was  later 
to  claim  him  as  her  son.  "I  shall  call  him 
Moses,"  said  the  princess,  "because  I  drew  him 
out  of  the  water." 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN 

THE  TURNING  BACK  OF   ISRAEL  FROM 
THE   PROMISED   LAND 

Have  you  ever  visited  a  military  camp? 
If  you  have,  and  the  soldiers  had  marched  for 
months  through  dust  and  heat,  often  going 
for  days  with  little  or  no  water,  and  had  just 
reached  a  place  where  water  was  plentiful  and 
they  could  pitch  their  tents  and  rest,  you  have 
seen  a  camp  something  like  that  of  Israel.  The 
Israelites  were  on  their  way  to  a  land  where 
they  could  be  free,  have  their  own  laws,  and 
practice  their  own  religion.  After  more  than 
twenty  months  of  marching  with  their  children, 
their  wives  and  sisters,  old  people  and  babies, 
cattle  and  household  goods,  they  had  at  last 
come  to  the  border  of  the  promised  land. 

For  hundreds  of  years  the  people  of  Israel 
had  been  slaves  of  the  Egyptians;  then,  not 
being  able  to  endure  further  cruelty,  they  had 
left  Egypt.  They  were  guided  by  their  leader, 
Moses,  wrho  was  teaching  them  how  to  be  free 
and  taking  them  to  a  beautiful  country  where 

46 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     47 

each  one  of  them  could  have  a  home  of  his 
own.  Just  think  of  it!  After  all  their  years 
of  suffering,  to  have  such  pleasure  waiting  for 
them  as  soon  as  their  journey  was  ended!  And 
now  their  journey  was  over,  the  weary  march 
ended,  and  the  new  country  close  at  hand. 

But  they  were  not  happy.  Did  you  ever 
see  people  in  our  own  country  who  were  getting 
just  what  they  wanted — in  fact,  getting  just 
what  they  were  going  after — and  yet  were 
unhappy  and  faultfinding?  Each  day  since 
they  had  left  Egypt  these  Israelites  had  found 
something  to  complain  about.  When  every- 
thing was  going  on  well,  they  were  glad  they 
had  started.  But  the  minute  anything  went 
wrong  and  they  had  to  wait  a  little  for  food  or 
water,  or  were  disturbed  in  any  way,  they  found 
fault  with  Moses  and  blamed  themselves  for 
being  so  foolish  as  to  have  listened  to  him  and 
left  Egypt. 

You  can't  understand  such  actions?  Why 
not?  Have  you  never  seen  girls  and  boys,  and 
some  grown  people,  too,  just  like  these  Israel- 
ites? I  knew  a  girl  who  was  all  smiles  until  she 
learned  that  she  had  to  ride  backward  during 


48          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

a  delightful  automobile  trip,  and  then  there 
was  something  wrong  every  mile  of  the  way. 
Another  girl  I  knew  sang  happily  at  the  piano 
until  she  discovered  her  sister  had  loaned  her 
favorite  song;  then  the  piano  closed  with  a 
spiteful  bang  and  the  singing  voice  became  a 
scolding  one. 

All  these  twenty  months  not  a  word  of  thanks 
had  these  people  spoken  to  Moses  for  his  care 
of  them.  I  suppose  they  felt  as  many  people 
feel  today,  that  as  soon  as  there  was  nothing 
more  to  complain  about  they  would  give  thanks. 
Of  course  there  were  some  among  these  many 
marchers  who,  all  the  way  through  the  desert, 
had  helped  Moses  by  thinking  and  talking  of 
the  beautiful  country  they  were  going  to, 
instead  of  the  trouble  they  had  in  getting  there. 
They  were  like  travelers  paying  a  visit  to  our 
wonderful  mountains;  some  look  at  the  time 
cards  and  circulars  and  picture  the  beauty  they 
soon  will  see,  while  others  find  nothing  but  dust 
and  heat,  and  noisy,  crowded  cars. 

It  was  a  lively  scene  on  the  evening  when 
they  camped  for  the  last  time  before  entering 
the  land  which  was  to  be  theirs.  The  patient 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     49 

camels  slowly  chewed  their  cuds  as  they  sleepily 
blinked  at  the  moon  just  rising  over  the 
mountains.  The  thirsty  cattle  were  eagerly 
drinking  water  and  sighing  with  content  as  they 
lay  down  to  rest. 

Little  Benjamin  pulled  at  his  mother's 
skirts,  asking  if  they  were  going  to  walk  any 
more  that  day.  Dear  little  boy,  he  had  been  a 
baby  wrapped  in  his  mother's  shawl  the  night 
his  parents  had  hurried  out  of  Egypt,  and  now 
he  was  a  jolly  little  fellow  trotting  by  her  side. 
And  his  sister  Sarah's  hair,  that  had  been  short 
bobbing  curls,  now  nearly  reached  her  waist. 
Camp  fires  were  being  built,  tents  set  up,  and 
the  heavy  burdens  laid  aside  in  preparation  for 
the  long  night's  rest. 

What  was  behind  those  dark  mountains  and 
across  the  silent  sea?  Was  it  a  land  big  enough 
for  them  all?  Did  it  have  plenty  of  wood  and 
water,  and  could  they  grow  large  crops  of  grain 
and  fruit?  They  kept  asking  one  another  these 
questions  until  Moses  told  them  that  in  the 
morning  twelve  men,  each  one  a  ruler  of  one  of 
the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel,  should  go  and  spy 
out  the  land  for  them. 


50          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Moses  advised  the  scouts  to  be  very  partic- 
ular to  look  at  everything,  and  be  able  when 
they  returned  to  tell  the  waiting  people  just 
what  kind  of  a  land  it  was.  He  did  not  want 
his  people  to  be  disappointed,  but  he  wished 
them  to  know  what  to  expect  when  they  entered 
the  land,  and  what  they  must  do  to  enter  it. 
He  told  the  twelve  scouts  that  they  must  be 
very  brave,  for  without  courage  their  trip 
would  be  useless. 

Tell  us,  he  said,  all  about  the  people  that 
are  now  in  the  country.  Are  they  strong  or 
weak,  and  are  there  a  great  many  of  them? 
Do  they  live  in  villages  or  cities,  and  are  their 
cities  fenced?  He  also  asked  them  to  bring 
back  some  of  the  fruit  which  grew  in  this  wonder- 
ful country  God  had  promised  to  give  them. 
Moses  told  the  Israelites  the  land  had  been  given 
to  them.  All  they  had  to  do  was  to  take  it. 

"That's  easy  enough,"  you  boys  and  girls 
say.  "  Almost  any  people  would  take  what  was 
given  to  them,  especially  something  good." 
Would  they?  Wait  and  see. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  camp  was  astir,  and 
the  scouts  were  as  eager  to  start  as  the  people 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN  51 

were  to  have  them.  The  people  were  tired 
of  marching  day  after  day  over  hot  sands  or 
jagged  rocks  which  burned  or  cut  their  feet. 
Nor  did  they  want  to  be  hungry  or  thirsty  any 
more,  for  the  desert  over  which  they  had  come 
did  not  give  them  much  to  eat  or  to  drink. 
And  the  children,  whose  little  legs  must  have 
been  swollen  from  much  walking  or  from  being 
doubled  under  them  as  they  journeyed  along 
on  a  camel's  or  donkey's  back,  soon  could  caper 
about  and  be  happy  at  play  in  their  own  land. 
Those  hot,  weary  days  followed  by  nights  often 
as  stifling,  were  now  past,  and  home  and  its 
comforts  lay  just  ahead  of  them. 

I  am  sure  the  Israelites  were  very  happy  as 
they  spent  the  forty  days  the  scouts  were  explor- 
ing the  new  country  in  telling  one  another  what 
kind  of  homes  they  were  going  to  have,  the  cat- 
tle they  would  raise,  and  the  grains  they  would 
grow.  Some  must  have  thought  they  would 
rather  live  on  the  seacoast.  It  would  be  cooler, 
and,  besides,  they  could  send  ships  to  other 
countries.  Others  preferred  the  silent  moun- 
tains, or  green  hills  where  fine  olives  or  delicious 
grapes  could  be  grown.  And  some,  like  our 


52          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

western  farmers,  wanted  the  plains  where  wheat 
would  grow  and  the  sheep  and  cattle  could  find 
rich  pasture.  It  was  a  small  country,  very 
small;  but  in  one  thing  it  was  like  ours — it  had 
rivers,  lakes,  mountains,  seacoast,  plains.  Some 
parts  of  this  country  were  cold  and  others  hot; 
some  of  it  was  barren  and  some  had  very  rich 
soil.  In  fact,  one  who  could  not  find  something 
to  his  taste  in  it  was  hard  to  please. 

At  the  end  of  the  fortieth  day  some  little 
lads  ran  in  great  excitement  into  the  camp  with 
the  news  that  the  scouts  were  in  sight.  They 
said  two  of  them  were  carrying  between  them 
something  large  hung  on  a  pole.  The  people 
hurried  from  their  tents  and  cheered  as  the  scouts 
entered  the  camp.  Joshua  and  Caleb,  two  of 
the  scouts,  looked  happy  as  they  proudly  showed 
Moses  and  the  people  the  great  bunch  of 
grapes  they  were  carrying  between  them.  They 
had  gathered  this  bunch  at  Eschol,  they  said, 
for  it  was  the  beginning  of  the  grape  season,  and 
these  were  the  first  ripe  grapes. 

The  people  were  so  glad  to  hear  all  the  good 
news  that  Caleb  and  Joshua  had  to  tell  that 
they  had  not  noticed  the  sad  face  of  Moses  as 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     53 

he  watched  the  other  ten  scouts,  who  lingered 
behind,  their  faces  dark  and  scowling.  Finally 
the  ten  spoke  and  said  that  Caleb  and  Joshua 
had  told  the  truth.  The  land  was  very  rich 
and  beautiful,  with  everything  in  it  that  they 
wanted,  but  there  was  no  use  talking  longer 
about  taking  it.  They  might  just  as  well  turn 
back  into  the  desert,  for  they  would  never  be 
able  to  enter  the  country. 

What  a  difference  between  the  two  reports  — 
Caleb  and  Joshua  urging  Moses  to  enter  with 
the  Israelites  because  the  people  of  Canaan 
(the  name  of  the  country  lying  behind  the  silent 
mountains)  could  easily  be  conquered,  while 

the  other  scouts  were  telling  Moses  that  it  was 

i 

impossible.  Perhaps  you  think  these  ten  men 
were  not  as  wise  as  Caleb  and  Joshua,  or  perhaps 
that  they  were  not  warriors,  while  Caleb  and 
Joshua  were.  But  remember  that  the  Bible 
expressly  states  that  each  one  of  them  was  head 
of  a  tribe  in  Israel.  That  meant  that  each  man 
was  a  warrior,  had  fought  battles,  and  won  the 
right  to  be  head.  In  those  days  people  had  to 
fight  to  win  anything,  and  afterward  they  had 
to  fight  to  keep  it.  No,  all  the  men  sent  out 


54          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

had  been  well  chosen,  and  that  was  the  shame 
of  it.  For  of  twelve  heads  of  Israel  ten  returned 
badly  frightened,  and  their  fright  kept  growing 
as  they  told  again  and  again  the  dangers  in  the 
way.  Their  fears  made  them  lose  their  good 
sense,  their  strength,  and  finally  their  truth- 
fulness. 

"The  cities  are  fenced,"  they  said.  Fenced 
cities,  you  know,  mean  walled  cities.  Some- 
times there  were  thick  double  walls  around 
them,  and  oftentimes  on  these  walls  there  were 
watch  towers  that  were  large  enough  for  people 
to  live  in. 

The  Israelites  began  to  murmur.  The  fear 
of  the  scouts  roused  their  fears,  and  soon  they 
were  thinking  with  the  scouts  that  they  had 
made  their  journey  for  nothing,  that  they 
might  better  have  stayed  in  Egypt  or  have  died 
in  the  wilderness. 

Finally  Caleb  quieted  the  people,  saying, 
"Let  us  go  up  at  once,  and  possess  it;  for  we 
are  well  able  to  overcome  it." 

But  the  other  scouts  answered,  "We  are  not 
able  to  go  up  against  the  people;  for  they  are 
stronger  than  we." 


CALEB  AND  JOSHUA  RETURNING 


SPYING  OUT  THE  LAND 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     55 

Then  in  their  fright  they  began  to  slander 
the  land  which  they  had  but  a  few  moments  ago 
so  highly  praised,  and  their  stories  of  danger 
grew  worse. 

The  only  difference  between  our  two  brave 
scouts  and  the  ten  cowards  was  that  two  of 
them  kept  thinking  of  and  looking  for  all  the 
good  things,  while  the  ten,  giving  all  their  atten- 
tion to  the  dangers  in  the  way,  at  last  believed 
there  was  nothing  else.  Moses  had  seen  both 
sides,  for  had  he  not  said  when  they  started  to 
explore  Canaan,  "And  be  ye  of  good  courage." 
He  knew  that  faith  and  courage  could  win,  but 
that  the  people  would  be  helpless  if  their  leaders 
were  afraid. 

Then  again  spoke  the  ten  scouts,  saying, 
"We  were  in  our  own  sight  as  grasshoppers,  and 
so  were  we  in  their  sight." 

Of  course  they  were.  Anyone  who  loses 
his  self-respect  as  these  men  had  done,  has  lost 
the  respect  of  others.  Everything  that  was 
good  was  small  in  their  eyes,  even  themselves. 
They  thought  their  people  and  their  God  were 
small  and  weak  and  naturally  their  enemies 
agreed  with  them. 


56          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

The  people  were  now  in  a  foolish  panic. 
The  orderly  camp  was  in  an  uproar  with 
people  running  aimlessly  about  asking  one 
another  if  they  had  not  better  turn  and  go  back 
to  Egypt. 

"Let  us  make  a  captain,"  they  said,  "and 
let  us  return  into  Egypt." 

As  Moses  heard  these  words  do  you  wonder 
that,  heartsick  and  discouraged,  he  and  Aaron 
the  priest  "fell  on  their  faces  before  . . .  the  con- 
gregation of  the  children  of  Israel?" 

"But,"  you  say,  "we  thought  God  had 
given  them  the  land,  and  all  they  had  to  do  was 
to  take  it." 

Certainly,  but  can  you  take  anything  with- 
out making  an  effort?  Suppose  your  father 
wants  to  give  you  a  college  education.  Can  he 
give  it  to  you  unless  you  study?  Or  perhaps 
you  wish  to  take  music  lessons.  Can  anyone 
give  them  to  you  if  you  will  not  practice?  If 
food  were  put  into  your  mouth  you  would  have 
to  chew  it.  No,  our  people  of  Israel  had  never 
been  promised  that  they  could  slip  easily  into 
a  land  waiting  for  them.  They  knew  better. 
They  had  fought  their  way  through  the 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     57 

wilderness;  they  must  fight  their  way  into  the 
promised  land. 

Caleb  and  Joshua  rent  their  clothes  as  Moses 
fell  upon  his  face — in  that  country  these  two 
acts  meant  they  were  in  great  distress — and 
spoke  to  the  people,  saying,  "The  land,  which 
we  passed  through  to  spy  out,  is  an  exceedingly 
good  land.  If  Jehovah  delight  in  us,  then  he 
will  bring  us  into  this  land,  and  give  it  unto  us; 
a  land  which  floweth  with  milk  and  honey. 
Only  rebel  not  against  Jehovah,  neither  fear 
ye  the  people  of  the  land;  for  they  are  bread 
for  us:  their  defence  is  removed  from  over 
them,  and  Jehovah  is  with  us:  fear  them  not." 

Caleb  and  Joshua  saw  the  weakness  of  the 
people  of  Canaan;  and  to  them,  with  their 
faith  in  God  and  their  courageous  spirit,  it  was 
their  enemies  and  not  themselves  that  looked 
like  "grasshoppers."  But  it  is  always  useless 
to  argue  with  those  who  fear.  The  frightened 
people  would  not  listen  and  commenced  to  stone 
the  two  brave  scouts. 

Moses  was  hurt  and  for  the  moment  dis- 
couraged. Was  there  any  use  in  trying  to  do 
anything  further  for  these  people?  They  were 


58         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

thankless  and  unbelieving.  No  matter  what 
God  did  for  them  or  what  wonders  he  showed 
them,  every  time  they  were  in  trouble  they 
doubted  His  power  and  His  promise  to  help 
them.  You  may  think  they  were  very  stupid 
and  say  there  is  no  one  like  them  today.  But 
look  at  them  more  closely.  Isn't  it  like  seeing 
your  .own  self  in  the  mirror  as  they  pass  before 
you  with  their  doubts  and  fears?  Don't  we  all 
feel  happy  when  everything  goes  well?  How 
many  of  us  can  say  that  we  have  the  same 
faith  in  God  when  everything  goes  wrong? 

Moses  kept  thinking.  Had  he  better  not 
leave  these  people?  He  and  his  family  and 
his  friends  were  strong  enough;  they  would 
inherit  the  blessings  God  had  promised.  Let 
the  people  go  back  into  the  desert  without  him 
and  die  there.  Of  course  they  would  sicken 
and  die  without  his  guidance.  But  if  they  were 
too  much  afraid  to  try  to  get  into  the  promised 
land  with  him,  they  were  too  weak  safely  to 
cross  the  desert  alone.  He  went  over  in  his 
mind  the  many  times  Jehovah  had  helped  him 
deliver  these  people  from  danger.  How  often, 
as  he  lay  on  the  ground  at  night  and  looked  up 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     59 

at  the  stars,  he  had  heard  God's  voice  in  his 
heart  urging  him  to  "go  forward"  and  save 
his  people!  At  last  he  felt  less  angry  and  less 
bitter  toward  them,  and  instead  of  wishing  to 
leave  them  to  their  own  destruction  he  said, 
as  he  listened  for  God's  voice,  "Pardon,  I  pray 
thee,  the  iniquity  of  this  people  according  unto 
the  greatness  of  thy  loving-kindness,  and  accord- 
ing as  thou  hast  forgiven  this  people,  from 
Egypt  even  until  now." 

Moses  knew  that  fear  and  unbelief  could 
never  meet  and  master  any  danger  that  lay 
between  his  people  and  the  land  before  them. 
Besides,  they  did  not  all  think  alike.  Some 
wished  to  return  to  Egypt,  others  believed  it 
best  to  do  nothing  at  all,  and  a  few  insisted  on 
marching  at  once  into  Canaan.  He  was  lead- 
ing them  and  he  could  not  go  in  half  a  dozen 
directions  at  once.  To  do  so  was  impossible. 
Only  a  few  had  any  courage  or  faith  in  their 
ability  to  conquer  the  enemy.  There  was  no 
use  in  going  back  to  Egypt.  After  all  that  had 
happened  there,  the  Egyptians  would  no  more 
allow  them  to  return  than  the  people  of  Canaan 
would  permit  them  to  enter  their  land.  Only 


60         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

one  thing  was  possible — to  turn  back  into  the 
wilderness  from  which  they  had  come,  to  go 
back  to  its  burning  heat,  its  choking  dust,  its 
hunger  and  pain  and  thirst  until,  weary  with 
wandering  about  in  it,  the  Israelites  should 
have  faith  enough  in  the  promises  of  God  to 
march  with  the  strength  of  courage  and  a 
united  purpose  into  the  land  which  He  had 
given  them. 

Moses  knew  then  what  we  all  know  now, 
that  the  door  which  will  not  open  is  unbelief. 
Believing  a  thing  possible,  one  tries  to  do  it; 
having  no  faith  that  it  can  be  done,  one  never 
makes  the  effort.  So  God  said  to  Moses  con- 
cerning the  people,  "Tomorrow  turn  ye,  and 
get  you  into  the  wilderness  by  the  way  to  the 
Red  Sea." 

But  that,  you  may  think,  was  for  people 
not  a  bit  like  us  and  who  lived  so  long  ago 
that  nothing  about  them  interests  us.  But  you 
are  mistaken.  People  are  the  same  wherever 
you  find  them;  and  I  have  discovered  in  my 
travels  that  girls  and  boys  in  other  lands  are 
just  the  same  as  girls  and  boys  in  my  own 
country. 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     61 

Let  us  do  a  little  thinking.  America  was 
an  old  continent,  much  older  than  Europe,  when 
it  was  discovered.  But  it  lay  unknown  on  this 
side  of  the  sea  until  Columbus  believed  that  by 
sailing  west  he  could  reach  India.  In  this 
faith,  backed  with  courage,  he  set  sail  on -the 
stormy  ocean  determined  to  find  it.  He  sailed 
into  his  promised  land  even  though  it  was 
not  the  India  he  sought.  His  faith  gave  the 
world  a  new  country.  Hannibal  could  have 
flown  over  the  Alps  as  easily  as  it  is  done 
today  instead  of  taking  months  to  cross  them 
on  foot,  but  he  did  not  believe  he  could,  so  he 
walked.  The  Wright  brothers  believed  man 
could  fly,  and  believing  it,  they  made  a 
machine  that  flew. 

I  knew  a  little  fellow  whose  promised  land 
was  swimming.  Was  anything  more  delightful, 
he  thought,  than  plunging  and  rolling  about  in 
the  ocean?  But  he  didn't  believe  he  could 
learn  to  swim  because  he  was  afraid  of  the  big 
waves,  and  sharks  might  be  near,  or  rocks 
hidden  under  the  water  might  hurt  him.  So 
he  stood  on  the  beach  and  envied  the  other 
children.  He  was  somewhat  like  Israel  peering 


62          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

over  the  mountains  at  the  land  they  believed 
they  could  not  conquer,  was  he  not? 

Two  young  men  applied  for  a  position.  The 
head  of  the  firm  said  to  both  of  them,  "I  can 
see  you  only  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

One  boy  replied,  "But  you  live  outside  the 
city,  and  there  is  no  train  after  midnight  until 
six  in  the  morning." 

The  other  quietly  answered,  "I'll  be  there, 
sir,  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning." 

He  took  the  midnight  train,  waited  in  the 
station  the  remainder  of  the  night,  and  called 
the  old  man  out  of  bed  at  four  in  the  morning. 
Yes,  he  got  the  position  and  in  after  years 
became  the  manager  of  the  firm.  There  was 
no  promised  land  too  hard  for  him  to  enter. 
The  other  young  fellow  did  not  even  think  of 
waiting  in  the  station.  The  first  thought 
which  entered  his  head  was,  "It  is  impossible." 
Perhaps  for  the  rest  of  his  life  he  kept  waiting 
for  something  that  he  believed  it  was  possible 
to  do. 

We  must  go  back  to  our  poor  frightened 
people  sadly  packing  their  goods,  folding  their 
tents,  and  putting  their  babies  who  were  too 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     63 

little  to  march,  on  the  backs  of  the  camels  or 
donkeys.  Little  Benjamin  again  asked  his 
mother  if  they  were  going  to  march  any  more, 
and  why  they  went  back  where  they  had  just 
come  from.  His  sister  Sarah  took  him  by  the 
hand,  and  together  the  two  little  ones  followed 
their  mother  and  father  out  into  the  barren 
land  where  even  the  little  children  feel  tired 
most  of  the  time.  Poor  little  lad  and  little  lass ! 
They  did  not  know  that  the  next  time  they 
stood  on  the  border  of  the  promised  land  they 
would  be  old  and  gray-haired,  with  children  of 
their  own,  while  their  mother  and  father  would 
have  perished  in  the  wilderness. 

Forty  days  the  scouts  had  been  looking  at 
the  land  of  Canaan,  and  forty  years,  a  year  for 
each  day,  were  they  to  wander  in  the  wilderness. 
Of  all  the  grown  people,  only  Caleb  and  Joshua 
who  had  brought  back  a  good  report  of  the  land, 
and  who  had  believed  that  God  was  with  them 
and  would  give  it  to  them  if  they  trusted  in  Him, 
were  allowed  to  enter  the  promised  land. 

What  unreasonable  things  fear  and  unbelief 
make  people  do!  These  people  had  refused  to 
go  forward,  but  as  soon  as  Moses  told  them  he 


64          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

would  not  insist  on  their  entering  Canaan,  but 
would  go  back  with  them  to  the  desert,  at  once 
they  decided  that  they  would  go  into  the  land 
and  fight  the  inhabitants.  Was  Moses  pleased? 
No,  he  knew  it  was  not  faith  that  they  could 
conquer  their  enemies,  but  fear  of  the  desert 
which  influenced  them,  so  he  said,  ''Wherefore 
now  do  ye  transgress  the  commandment  of 
Jehovah,  seeing  it  shall  not  prosper?  Go  not 
up,  for  Jehovah  is  not  among  you;  that  ye  be 
not  smitten  down  before  your  enemies  .  .  .  * 
ye  shall  fall  by  the  sword:  because  ye  are  turned 
back  from  following  Jehovah,  therefore  Jehovah 
will  not  be  with  you." 

By  this  time  you  boys  and  girls  know,  with- 
out my  telling  you,  that  the  people  paid  no 
attention  to  Moses,  but  went  out  in  their  weak- 
ness to  fight  the  enemy  and  of  course  were 
defeated.  To  the  end  of  the  story  they  refused 
to  believe  what  their  leader  told  them  and  as 
usual  met  the  consequences  of  their  disobedi- 
ence. Some  people  are  fond  of  calling  these 
consequences  punishment.  Had  these  people 
been  able  to  understand,  Moses  could  have  told 
them  what  was  told  many  years  afterward  to  a 


THE  DOOR  NO  ONE  CAN  OPEN     65 

little  maid  in  Nazareth:  " Blessed  is  she  that 
believed;  for  there  shall  be  a  fulfilment  of  the 
things  which  have  been  spoken  to  her  from 
the  Lord." 


OPENED    EYES 

BALAAM  CURSING  ISRAEL 
To-day  go  up  with  me  into  a  high  mountain. 
From  its  peak  there  is  a  view,  a  most  wonderful 
view,  that  I  want  you  all  to  see.  No,  you  will 
not  need  a  field  glass.  The  air  is  clear  and  your 
eyes  keen,  so  that  you  will  miss  none  of  its 
beauty.  Glasses  are  not  worth  much,  anyway. 
Some  people  see  little  with  the  best  of  glasses, 
and  others  with  dim  eyes  and  no  other  help  see 
wonders  in  this  world  of  ours.  From  the  top 
of  this  mountain  can  be  seen  rushing  mountain 
torrents,  and  narrow  valleys  with  swift  rivers 
and  those  that  creep  along  lazily  toward  the 
sea.  Desolate  salt  marshes  and  fertile  fields, 
bleakness  and  barrenness,  beauty  and  plenty, 
dark  mountains  and  sunny  meadows,  every 
kind  of  scenery,  in  fact,  is  here  disclosed  to  our 
view.  Whichever  picture  you  prefer  is  yours 
to  see  if  you  will  turn  your  face  in  the  right 
direction. 

It  is  well  that  we  are  here  in  the  morning, 
for  we  can  look  west  toward  the  river  Jordan. 
There  at  our  feet  in  the  valley,  nestling  in  the 

66 


OPENED  EYES  67 

shade  of  the  acacia  woods,  is  a  camp.  It  is 
that  of  Israel,  ready  now  to  enter  the  land  that 
God  had  promised  to  give  them.  For  nearly 
thirty-eight  years  have  the  Hebrews  wandered 
back  and  forth  in  the  wilderness,  until  now,  no 
longer  a  band  of  faint-hearted  exiles  but  a 
conquering  host,  they  rest  before  crossing  the 
Jordan,  which  separates  them  from  the  land 
which  is  to  be  their  home.  Some  of  you  are 
straining  your  eyes  to  see,  there  in  the  west, 
what  it  is  that  looks  like  a  hazy  blue  ribbon 
binding  the  country  to  the  river  and  the 
mountains.  It  is  the  sea,  the  Great  Sea — the 
Mediterranean  we  call  it  now.  We  shall  draw 
a  deep  breath  of  enjoyment  as  we  gaze  at  the 
scene  and  then  hurry  down  the  steep  path  to 
the  valley,  for  it  is  today  that  Balaam  is  coming 
to  curse  Israel. 

"Why  coming  to  curse  Israel?"  you  ask  in 
surprise. 

Balak,  the  king  of  Moab,  and  his  people  are 

'  terrified  because  of  the  coming  of  the  Hebrews. 

Israel  has  just   conquered   and   captured   two 

tribes  and  their  kings,  with  their  cities  and  all 

their  possessions. 


68          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

What  right  have  these  people  to  camp  in 
the  fields  of  Moab?  Balak  inquired  of  himself. 
True,  Israel  had  asked  permission  to  pass  peace- 
ably through  his  land  and  that  of  the  other  two 
kings,  but  had  been  refused.  Israel  was  not 
now  to  be  hindered.  At  last  she  had  learned 
that  the  land  God  had  given  her  had  to  be  won, 
and  she  waged  a  conquering  war  upon  every 
obstacle  that  stood  between  her  and  the  land 
of  promise. 

Balak  and  the  elders  of  Midian  had  consulted 
together  and  decided  that  their  only  safety  lay 
in  having  Balaam,  the  wise  man  and  sorcerer, 
curse  these  invaders.  The  Midianites  would 
give  him  money  in  plenty,  and  honor  and  power, 
if  he  would  only  use  his  wisdom  and  counsel  to 
defeat  the  Israelites.  Balak  had  said  to  the 
elders,  as  he  pointed  to  the  camp  resting  on  the 
borders  of  Midian,  "Now  will  this  multitude 
lick  up  all  that  is  round  about  us,  as  the  ox 
licketh  up  the  grass  of  the  field." 

Messengers  had  gone  from  Balak  to  Balaam 
and  entreated  him  to  return  with  them  and 
curse  this  people.  Whatever  you  curse  will  be 
cursed,  they  told  him,  and  whatever  you  bless 


OPENED  EYES  69 

will  be  blessed.  It  was  night  when  the  messen- 
gers reached  his  tent,  and  he  was  seated  in  its 
door.  He  rose  as  they  alighted  and  asked  their 
errand,  but  peremptorily  shook  his  head  as 
they  presented  Balak's  request.  His  wisdom — 
and  he  was  a  very  wise  man — told  him  at 
once  that  the  mission  upon  which  they  asked 
him  to  go  was  a  hopeless  one.  He  knew,  as 
another  wise  man  knew  and  said  years  afterward, 

"  There  is  no  wisdom  nor  understanding 
Nor  counsel  against  Jehovah." 

But  that  gold  they  offered  him — how  it  did 
tempt  him!  Could  not  some  way  be  found  by 
which  he  could  please  God,  Balak,  and  Israel? 
Long  after  his  visitors  lay  asleep  he  strode  back 
and  forth  outside  his  tent  watching  the  stars. 
Yes,  they  were  moving  with  their  usual  order 
across  the  heavens.  There  seemed  to  be  no 
disturbance  in  God's  universe.  He  knew  that 
Jehovah  was  with  Israel,  and  it  was  Jehovah's 
laws  that  the  sons  of  Jacob  were  taught  to  obey. 
No,  the  task  was  too  great  for  him;  he  would 
not  attempt  it.  And  he  told  the  men  so  the 
next  morning  when  he  sent  them  back  to  Balak 
with  his  bribe  of  gold. 


70          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

The  next  evening  other  messengers  from  the 
king  were  clamoring  at  his  tent  door,  offering 
more  money  and  higher  honors.  Balaam  hesi- 
tated. Would  they  remain  with  him  over 
night?  he  asked.  He  must  seek  the  counsel  of 
Jehovah,  he  told  them.  All  night  he  tossed  and 
turned  upon  his  bed  of  hairy  skins.  Now  and 
then  his  hands  would  clinch,  itching  to  have 
within  them  the  gold  the  men  had  brought. 
Was  there  not  some  way  in  which  he  could  serve 
Jehovah  in  whom  he  believed  and  also  Balak 
whose  gold  he  coveted?  He  would  try  it,  any- 
way. When  morning  came  he  told  the  messen- 
gers that  he  would  go  with  them,  adding,  "If 
Balak  would  give  me  his  house  full  of  silver  and 
gold,  I  cannot  go  beyond  the  word  of  Jehovah 
my  God,  to  do  less  or  more." 

Some  of  you  are  wondering  how  a  man  as 
wise  as  Balaam  could  consider  going  on  such  an 
errand.  "Why,  it  is  like  trying  to  go  backward 
and  forward  at  the  same  time! "  you  are  saying. 

Yes,  but  the  glitter  of  gold  and  desire  for 
fame  were  too  much  of  a  temptation!  So  he 
tried  to  do  the  impossible  and  failed,  just  as, 
since  his  time,  everyone  who  has  attempted  to 


OPENED  EYES  71 

get  good  results  by  doing  wrong  things  has  failed. 
Some  of  you  are  saying  that  wise  people  do  not 
act  that  way  now.  But  think  a  minute.  You 
may  be  a  high-school  girl  or  boy;  perhaps  you 
are  at  the  head  of  your  class  and  will  win  a  schol- 
arship. But,  honestly  now,  did  you  never  hear 
yourself  say  after  you  had  failed,  perhaps  in 
some  small  matter,  "I  knew  better  than  to  do  it 
that  way  all  the  time?"  But  you  hoped,  as  we 
all  hope  and  as  Balaam  hoped,  that  you  could 
once  at  least  do  wrong  and  get  perfect  results. 
How  did  Balaam  fail?  The  answer  to  that 
question  is  our  story. 

As  the  night  shadows  faded  away  his  fears 
disappeared,  and  with  the  coming  of  the  sun  his 
courage  rose  strong  and  determined.  Saddling 
his  ass  and  calling  two  of  his  servants,  he  started 
out  with  them  and  Balak's  messengers.  The 
ass  he  rode  was  a  spirited  animal  and  carried 
him  swiftly  along  the  road. 

Why  do  you  laugh?  You  are  probably 
picturing  to  yourselves  one  of  those  dejected- 
looking  donkeys  that  never  seem  to  be  more 
than  half  awake,  and  you  are  amused  to  think 
that  one  of  them  could  move  quickly. 

6 


72          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

But  the  ass  upon  which  Balaam  sat  was  not 
a  donkey.  Asses  were  favorites  with  the 
Hebrews  and  were  fine  animals.  They  were 
not,  of  course,  swift  like  the  horse,  which  at  that 
time  and  for  many  years  after  was  employed 
only  for  war.  Horses  were  forbidden  to  the 
Israelites,  and  never  until  the  time  of  King 
David  did  the  Hebrews  make  use  of  them. 

Balak's  messengers  were  in  gay  spirits.  The 
wise  man  was  with  them  and  his  curse  would 
soon  rout  the  invading  Hebrews.  Already  in 
imagination  they  could  see  the  Israelites  desert- 
ing their  tents  and  fleeing  across  the  plain  before 
pursuing  Moabites  and  Midianites.  Balaam, 
also,  pictured  in  his  mind  the  way  he  should 
spend  all  the  money  Balak  was  to  give  him. 
He  would  buy  asses  and  camels,  perhaps  a  bond- 
man or  two  to  do  more  work  for  him.  Suddenly 
the  ass  he  rode  began  to  act  queerly.  She  no 
longer  obeyed  his  guiding  hand,  but,  shaking  her 
head  free  from  the  bridle,  bolted  from  the  road 
and  plunged  into  a  near-by  field.  Balaam 
struck  her  heavily  with  his  stick  and  forced 
her  back  into  the  path.  For  a  little  distance 
she  obediently  trotted  as  he  directed,  then 


OPENED  EYES  73 

reared  and  plunged  with  head  erect  and  nostrils 
distended.  Back,  back  she  went  until,  trem- 
bling, she  pressed  against  the  vineyard  wall, 
crushing  Balaam's  foot  as  she  did  so.  With 
upraised  stick  the  prophet  beat  the  poor  beast 
until  she  was  forced  to  move  forward. 

On  and  on  the  company  traveled  until  com- 
ing to  a  narrow  cleft  between  some  rocks  where 
it  was  impossible  to  turn  around,  the  ass  lay 
down  flat  upon  the  ground,  crouching  in  terror 
before  some  object  which  she  saw  but  Balaam 
did  not.  Once  more  he  beat  the  suffering  ani- 
mal, but  she  would  not  rise;  then  from  her 
mouth  came  words,  and  Balaam  stood  listening 
as  she  spoke:  "What  have  I  done  unto  thee, 
that  thou  hast  smitten  me  these  three  times?" 

Balaam  answered  in  a  rage  that  the  only 
reason  he  did  not  kill  her  was  because  he  had  no 
sword.  Once  more  did  the  ass  speak,  and  again 
Balaam  replied  to  her.  Lifting  his  eyes  as  he 
did  so  he  beheld  the  cause  of  the  animal's  actions. 
She  had  seen  what  his  eyes  had  not  perceived. 
Blinded  with  his  desire  to  have  his  own  way 
and  gain  the  reward  Balak  had  promised  him, 
his  eyes  were  closed.  Now  with  opened  eyes  he 


74          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

saw  the  angel  of  Jehovah  with  drawn  sword 
standing  in  the  path.  Thrice  had  the  angel 
turned  the  ass  away  from  her  course,  but  not 
until  now,  when  Balaam  could  turn  neither  to 
the  left  nor  to  the  right — when,  in  other  words, 
there  was  no  possible  way  of  escape  for  the 
prophet — did  he  recognize  God's  messenger 
and  heed  his  word. 

Are  you  saying  that  these  things  are  impossi- 
ble and  that  animals  do  not  talk?  Because  you 
have  never  heard  them  is  no  sign  they  cannot. 
Birds  are  taught  to  talk,  and  they  are  animals. 
Who  can  say  that  it  is  only  animals  walking  on 
two  legs  that  have  the  gift  of  speech,  but  if  they 
are  unfortunate  enough  to  possess  four  it  is 
impossible?  We  none  of  us  talk  because  of  our 
feet,  do  we?  But  we  will  not  argue,  and  for 
those  of  you  who  hate  to  admit  that  anything 
of  the  kind  was  possible,  let  me  tell  you  that  it 
was  a  vision  in  which  Balaam  was  taught  a 
lesson. 

You  remember  Jacob  and  his  dream  the 
night  he  lay  friendless  in  the  wilderness.  He 
went  to  sleep  a  fugitive  because  of  a  selfish, 
grasping  nature,  but  he  arose  in  the  morning 


OPENED  EYES  75 

determined  to  give  and  serve  because  of  what 
God  had  taught  him  in  a  dream.  So  in  a  vision 
was  Balaam  taught  of  God.  He  had  started 
out  to  curse  with  his  own  words,  hoping  that 
Jehovah  this  time  would  alter  his  laws  for  this 
occasion.  But  it  was  not  so  to  be;  his  opened 
eyes  saw  the  angel  of  God  guarding  with  drawn 
sword  every  way  in  which  he  tried  to  reach  his 
evil  purpose.  If  you  go,  declared  Jehovah's 
messenger,  you  must  speak  the  word  that  I 
shall  give  you. 

Baffled  and  afraid,  the  prophet  went  forward 
with  the  rest  of  the  company.  He  dared  not 
go  back.  That  would  mean  the  ridicule  and 
scorn  of  the  men  who  were  with  him,  and  all 
Moab  would  say  that  he  was  an  impostor  and 
was  not  able  to  do  the  deed  they  had  asked  of 
him.  Soon  the  plains  of  Moab  were  reached; 
a  few  more  paces  and  they  would  begin  to  ascend 
the  mountain  upon  whose  summit  Balak  was 
waiting  for  Balaam  and  his  company.  Stand- 
ing upon  the  same  peak  from  which  we  saw  our 
beautiful  view  was  Moab's  king  pointing  out 
to  Balaam  the  tents  of  Israel  far  below  in  the 
valley.  Grasping  Balaam  tightly  by  the  arm, 


76         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Balak  said,  "This  host  will  overpower  us  if  you 
do  not  curse  them  for  us." 

Balaam,  answering,  told  him  that  he  had  no 
power  except  what  Jehovah  gave  him  and  no 
words  save  those  put  into  his  mouth  by  Jehovah. 
Balak  had  been  warned.  He  should  not  have 
insisted  that  Balaam  try  his  evil  spells  upon 
this  people  who  were  now  peacefully  resting  in 
Moab's  borders.  Balak's  gods  were  change- 
able ;  they  never  could  be  depended  upon.  What 
was  wrong  for  them  one  day  would  probably 
be  right  on  the  next  day.  So  Balak,  judging 
Jehovah  by  his  own  gods,  told  Balaam  to  go  on; 
it  might  be  that  today  Jehovah  would  curse. 
Poor,  ignorant  king,  he  and  his  people  had  never 
heard  the  voice  of  Jehovah  declaring,  "For  I, 
Jehovah,  change  not;  therefore  ye,  O  sons  of 
Jacob,  are  not  consumed." 

Balaam  walked  slowly  forward.  Before  him 
stretched  the  panorama  of  beauty  that  you  and 
I  have  just  witnessed.  The  tents  of  Israel 
shone  in  the  morning  sun,  and  the  turbulent 
river,  dancing  across  the  plain  and  hurrying 
along  the  valley,  sparkled  as  its  ripples  now  and 
then  caught  a  stray  sunbeam.  Every  tribe  was 


OPENED  EYES  77 

there,  each  carrying  the  symbol  by  which  it 
could  be  recognized.  What  perfect  order, 
thought  Balaam,  as  he  viewed  the  twelve  sections, 
each  by  itself  and  yet  united  as  one  nation. 
Truly  these  were  Jehovah's  people.  As  he 
opened  his  mouth  to  speak,  no  sound  issued 
from  his  lips.  What  had  closed  them  and  made 
his  curse  die  upon  them  before  it  was  spoken? 
His  eyes  had  again  been  opened  to  see  a 
shimmering  glow  of  light  in  the  center  of  the 
camp.  It  looked  like  a  cloud,  but  shot  through 
as  it  was  with  dazzling  brilliancy,  he  knew  that 
it  was  more  than  a  cloud.  It  was  the  light  that 
brooded  always  during  the  daytime  over  the 
ark  of  the  covenant.  Israel  followed  this  light 
which  always  went  before  them.  It  meant  the 
presence  of  Jehovah,  their  God.  Could  Balaam 
curse  when  Jehovah  and  his  blessing  were 
present?  So  upon  the  listening  ears  of  the 
astonished  Balak  there  fell  words  of  wondrous 
blessing  for  Israel.  When  the  speech  ended,  he 
angrily  accused  Balaam  of  wishing  the  enemy 
good  instead  of  harm.  "But,  come  now,"  he 
added,  "you  must  view  the  camp  from  another 
spot  and  from  there  you  may  be  able  to 


78          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

curse."  This  time  he  led  the  prophet  to  a 
place  from  which  could  be  seen  only  a  part  of 
the  Hebrew  host.  He  must  have  thought  that 
the  sight  of  the  great  orderly  host  of  Israel  had 
made  Balaam  afraid,  and  discouraged  him  in 
the  beginning.  But  the  second  attempt  was  no 
better  than  the  first,  and  the  silent  Hebrews 
again  received  the  blessing  of  their  God  from  the 
mouth  of  Balaam. 

Balak,  now  thoroughly  alarmed,  urged  that 
Balaam  stop  and  neither  curse  nor  bless  these 
people.  But  when  a  man  is  moved  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  he  cannot  stop  when  he  pleases,  but 
must  go  on  and  finish  his  work.  And  this  is 
what  Balaam  told  the  king:  "All  that  Jehovah 
speaketh,  that  I  must  do." 

One  more  trial  was  Balak  willing  to  give 
Balaam,  so  he  said  to  him,  "Come  now,  I  will 
take  thee  unto  another  place;  peradventure  it 
will  please  God  that  thou  mayest  curse  me  them 
from  thence." 

But  the  other  place  was  no  better.  God 
seemed  to  be  the  same  no  matter  where  Balaam 
stood,  and  a  greater  and  more  wonderful  bless- 
ing upon  Israel  came  from  the  lips  of  Balaam. 


OPENED  EYES  79 

The  king  of  Moab  was  now  thoroughly 
enraged.  He  was  so  angry  that  for  the  moment 
he  forgot  his  fear  and  bade  Balaam  flee  to  his 
own  people.  The  prophet,  standing  before  him, 
then  uttered  the  words  which  form  one  of  the 
greatest  speeches  ever  made,  so  true  are  they. 
It  was  not  of  the  petty  tyrant  Baal  he  was  speak- 
ing, the  god  whose  whims  would  change  with 
each  new  day  and  whose  favor  could  be  bought 
and  sold  by  his  worshipers.  No,  it  was  of 
Jehovah  he  spoke  when  he  said,  "He  hath 
blessed,  and  I  cannot  reverse  it." 

Think  of  it,  boys  and  girls.  Not  a  blessing 
that  really  is  a  blessing  can  be  altered  or  changed. 
How  hard  this  Moabitish  king  and  his  followers 
had  tried  to  obstruct  God's  way,  and  all  they 
had  realized  was  disappointment  and  time 
wasted!  Balak's  anger  at  Balaam  resulted  in 
drawing  down  a  curse  upon  himself,  for  the 
prophet  turned  and  told  of  the  overthrow  of 
Moab  by  Israel.  Every  net  that  we  set  for  the 
feet  of  another  only  entangles  our  own.  There 
are  some  people  who  do  not  or  will  not  see 
this.  But  Balaam's  eyes  were  opened  to 
acknowledge  it. 


So          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

As  night  fell  he  went  down  the  mountain 
side  alone,  first  pausing  to  look  once  more  at 
the  camp  below  him.  The  cloud  over  the  taber- 
nacle had  disappeared  and  in  its  place  was  a 
pillar  of  fire.  Did  his  ears  catch  the  refrain  of 
words  to  be  spoken  in  the  years  that  came  after 
him — words  saying,  "Our  God  is  a  consuming 
fire,"  destroying  every  false  thing  that  dared 
deny  the  good  with  which  He  blesses  his 
children? 

As  he  journeyed  homeward  and  the  stars 
came  out  one  by  one,  he  stroked  kindly  the  neck 
of  the  ass  he  rode,  trusting  to  her  unerring 
instinct  to  carry  him  safely  through  the  dark- 
ness to  the  door  of  his  tent.  As  he  reached  his 
home  and  stood  before  his  tent  door  he  uncovered 
his  head.  Jehovah  had  spoken  through  the 
instinct  of  the  brute,  the  light  of  the  stars,  and 
in  his  own  heart.  Together  they  had  blended 
in  one  musical  tone,  repeating  the  refrain, 
"God's  will  is  blessing." 


THE   SCARLET   CORD 

RAHAB  AND  THE  SPIES 

A  number  of  frightened  people  were  running 
back  and  forth  upon  the  city  walls.  From  the 
strong  towers  upon  those  walls  warriors  were 
anxiously  watching  a  cloud  of  dust  darkening 
the  horizon.  It  had  been  there  yesterday,  but 
today  it  was  rolling  nearer  and  nearer  to  Jericho. 
Not  a  dweller  in  the  city  dared  venture  outside 
the  gates,  which  were  closed  and  heavily  barred. 
Only  those  who  were  fortunate  enough  to  have 
a  house  upon  the  wall  could  know  what  was 
going  on  outside  and  see  how  rapidly  that  fatal 
cloud  was  approaching  them.  I  can  hear  some 
of  you  children  ask  why  a  cloud  of  dust  should 
frighten  the  people  of  a  rich  and  strong  city  like 
Jericho,  filled  as  it  was  with  fighting  men  of 
valor.  It  was  because  behind  that  dust  was  an 
enemy  that  everyone  feared,  an  invading  army 
coming  to  conquer  and  to  destroy. 

The  white-faced  people  inside  the  gates  with 
trembling  hands  were  trying  to  hide  their  valu- 
ables— their  gold  and  silver,  their  jewels,  and 
costly  garments.  Some  looked  sadly  upon 

81 


82  OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

their  homes.  Would  they  be  homeless  tomor- 
row, they  were  wondering,  and  would  all  they 
loved  be  ashes  by  another  day?  Mothers 
held  their  children  closer  to  them.  By  to-mor- 
row they  might  not  have  them,  or,  what  would 
be  still  worse,  the  little  ones  might  be  mother- 
less and  fatherless  and  left  to  the  mercy  of 
strangers.  Fathers  with  swords  in  their  hands 
gathered  together.  Every  weapon  of  war  had 
been  seized  by  them  to  repel  the  dreaded  foe. 

"It  is  the  army  of  Israel!"  cried  the 
watchers  in  the  towers.  "No  people  has  been 
able  to  withstand  it."  Despair  was  in  their 
hearts,  and  their  spirit  was  sick  with  fear — 
a  very  poor  condition  for  a  people  to  be  in 
when  it  is  necessary  to  meet  and  conquer  a  foe. 

"But  why  should  they  be  afraid  of  Israel?" 
you  boys  and  girls  are  asking.  "Didn't  ten  of 
the  spies  return  to  Moses  badly  frightened  and 
declare  that  the  Israelites  were  as  grasshoppers 
in  the  sight  of  their  enemies?" 

Yes,  but  since  the  time  of  that  story  forty 
years  have  passed  and  Moses  no  longer  leads 
the  people.  Israel  is  advancing  now  under  its 
leader  Joshua.  All  these  years  the  Hebrews 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  83 

have  been  in  the  wilderness.  They  had  abused 
the  love  of  their  great  leader,  Moses,  had  found 
fault  with  him  always,  and  only  a  few  had  been 
gracious  enough  to  appreciate  what  he  had  done 
for  them.  Moses  had  spared  them  under 
every  trial.  All  they  had  to  do  was  to  murmur 
because  there  was  no  water  and  his  rod  made  it 
gush  out  of  the  rock;  or  if  it  was  meat  they 
craved,  their  complaints  brought  forth  from  him 
a  prayer  that  Jehovah  would  grant  them  their 
desire  and  in  reply  quail  rained  upon  them. 

Under  Joshua's  leadership  it  was  different. 
He  was  brave  and  true  like  Moses,  but  every 
man  with  him  had  to  earn  what  he  wanted. 
Joshua  had  said  to  them,  "Be  strong  and  of 
good  courage."  It  was  his  watchword,  given 
him  by  Jehovah  after  the  death  of  Moses.  All 
these  years  the  Israelites  had  fought  their  way 
through  the  wilderness.  Little  by  little  they 
had  overcome  enemies,  and  their  courage  had 
grown  with  every  victory,  until  now  as  they 
were  approaching  Jericho  there  was  not  one 
among  them,  child,  woman,  or  warrior,  who  was 
not  certain  that  Jehovah  their  God  was  with 
them  and  would  give  the  city  into  their  hand. 


84          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

You  remember  that  little  Benjamin  and  his 
sister  Sarah  had  sadly  followed  their  parents 
back  into  the  wilderness  from  which  they  had 
just  come.  They  had  turned  again  to  those 
burning  plains  and  dry  sands  because  the 
Hebrew  people  had  not  the  courage  to  enter 
the  land  God  had  promised  them.  But  now,  in 
the  time  of  this  story,  it  was  not  a  host  of  weak 
slaves  but  a  conquering  people  armed  with 
faith  in  their  God  and  confidence  in  their  leader, 
which  was  marching  upon  Jericho.  Forty 
troubled  years  in  the  wilderness  had  made 
their  enemies,  and  not  themselves,  seem  like 
grasshoppers. 

All  day  the  watchers  upon  the  walls  and 
the  people  in  the  city  were  waiting  for  Israel. 
At  last  gleaming  swords  and  flashing  shields 
told  the  watchers  in  the  towers  that  the  enemy 
they  feared  was  near.  But  not  a  sound  was  to 
be  heard.  No  shout  of  victory,  no  demand  that 
Jericho  should  surrender,  came  from  the  Hebrew 
camp,  silent  before  the  doomed  city.  Not  an 
arrow  was  shot  over  the  walls,  no  missile  of 
stone  fell  in  its  midst,  no  battering-ram  stormed 
against  its  gates.  There  was  only  a  sickening 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  85 

silence,  so  great  that  it  filled  the  hearts  of  the 
people  with  a  fear  worse  than  the  noise  of  battle 
could  have  caused. 

The  sun  set  in  blazing  colors  and  tinted  with 
lurid  hues  the  tents  of  Israel,  encamped  for  the 
night  on  the  plains  of  Jericho.  Camels  were 
watered  and  cattle  fed,  while  little  children  fell 
asleep  in  their  mothers'  arms  after  eating  their 
supper  of  manna — that  manna  which  for  forty 
years  had  been  Israel's  bread  in  the  wilderness. 
How  they  hated  that  manna!  Perhaps  had 
they  known  that  the  evening  on  which  they 
camped  before  Jericho  the  manna  would  fall  for 
the  last  time,  they  would  have  eaten  it  with 
greater  relish.  Do  you  ask  me  why  the  manna 
ceased  to  fall?  It  was  no  longer  needed.  Israel 
had  entered  the  promised  land. 

Soon  darkness  fell  upon  both  the  frightened 
city  and  the  silent  Jewish  camp,  until  the  moon, 
slowly  rising,  touched  with  silvery  tints  the 
tents  of  Israel  and  threw  a  white  shroud  over 
the  battlements  of  Jericho.  Years  before,  the 
Hebrews  had  watched  this  same  moon  rise,  and 
as  its  full  radiance  shone  upon  them  had  hur- 
ried out  of  Egypt.  Then  the  silvery  rays  of  the 


86          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

moon  disclosed  red  stains  like  blood  upon  every 
Hebrew  doorpost.  Thereby  were  the  Hebrews 
separated  from  the  Egyptians  when  the  angel 
of  death  visited  Egypt.  It  was  in  memory  of 
this  deliverance  that  as  they  halted  before 
Jericho  they  silently  ate  the  passover.  But  the 
first-born  of  man  and  beast  of  the  Egyptians 
died  on  the  night  when  the  angel  of  death 
passed  over  the  land. 

As  years  ago  the  moonlight  had  touched  the 
scarlet  stains  upon  the  doorposts  of  the  Israelites, 
so  to-night  the  wind,  moaning  about  the  battle- 
ments of  the  city,  as  it  shrieked  past  a  window 
in  a  tower  upon  the  wall  tossed  into  the  moon- 
light the  fluttering  strands  of  a  gleaming  scarlet 
cord  bound  firmly  to  the  casement.  In  the 
tower  is  Rahab,  the  innkeeper.  Gathered  about 
her  are  her  family  and  all  her  kindred.  No 
fear  is  in  their  faces,  for  the  Jewish  camp  out- 
side brings  to  them,  not  danger,  but  deliverance. 
And  why,  you  ask,  should  this  woman  and  her 
household  be  spared?  Are  they  not  Canaanites 
of  Jericho?  They  are,  but  when  you  read 
Rahab 's  story  and  know  why  that  crimson  cord 
flutters  in  her  window,  you  will  agree  with  me 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  87 

that  Rahab  deserved  her  life — that  she  had 
won  her  freedom  fully  as  much  as  Israel  won  the 
victory  over  Jericho. 

***** 

Before  the  night  of  our  story — a  number  of 
days  earlier,  in  fact — Israel's  camp  was  in 
Shittim,  where  she  was  resting  in  the  beauty 
of  that  garden  spot.  There  she  was  enjoy- 
ing shade  from  the  sun,  plenty  of  water  for  her 
cattle,  and  safety  from  wandering  desert  tribes. 
But  her  leader,  Joshua,  did  not  like  resting. 
He  wanted  to  move  on  before  his  people  formed 
such  a  habit  of  resting  that  they  would  object 
to  traveling  any  further.  They  were  bound 
for  the  promised  land  and  he  was  determined 
that  they  should  reach  it.  The  camp  was 
close  by  the  waters  of  the  river  Jordan,  and  as 
the  people  slept  Joshua  stole  alone  from  his 
tent  to  the  river's  bank.  Standing  there  he 
lifted  his  arms  toward  heaven  in  thanksgiving. 
Only  to  cross  this  Jordan  and  the  years  of  Israel's 
wanderings  would  be  over,  for  the  land  God  had 
promised  his  people  lay  just  across  the  river. 

I  shall  not  be  surprised  if  some  of  you  girls 
and  boys  say  you  think  these  people  Joshua  is 


88          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

leading  will  not  go  over  as  soon  as  he  wishes 
them  to.  You  may  add  that,  as  they  have 
always  found  something  to  be  afraid  of,  they 
probably  will  now.  But  Joshua  had  for  many 
months  listened  to  a  voice  speaking  in  his  heart, 
saying:  "Be  strong  and  of  good  courage;  be 
not  affrighted,  neither  be  thou  dismayed;  for 
Jehovah  thy  God  is  with  thee  whithersoever 
thou  goest . ' '  His  faith  and  courage  had  inspired 
his  followers.  Perhaps  you  know  that  both 
faith  and  courage  are  contagious,  and  so  is  fear. 
Don't  you  remember  how  the  ten  frightened 
spies  sent  out  by  Moses  threw  all  Israel  into  a 
panic  with  their  terrifying  tales?  The  next 
time  you  are  tempted  to  be  afraid,  remember 
those  spies  and  the  harm  they  did. 

Joshua  was  not  going  to  permit  further 
delay.  The  people  must  at  once  begin  to  make 
themselves  ready  for  the  journey  across  the 
Jordan.  To  hesitate  might  mean  defeat,  so  he 
said  to  the  officers  of  Israel,  "Pass  through  the 
midst  of  the  camp,  and  command  the  people, 
saying,  '  Prepare  you  victuals ;  for  within  three 
days  ye  are  to  pass  over  this  Jordan,  to  go  in  to 
possess  the  land,  which  Jehovah  your  God 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  89 

giveth  you  to  possess  it.' "  The  day  before,  he 
had  sent  two  spies,  young  men,  princes  of  the 
house  of  Israel,  across  the  plain  to  Jericho  and 
told  them  to  bring  him  a  report  o£  the  country 
and  its  people. 

' '  Only  two  spies ! "  all  of  you  exclaim.  ' '  Why 
did  he  send  so  few  when  Moses  had  to  send 
twelve?" 

The  first  spies  had  gone  forty  years  before. 
They  all  had  been  slaves  in  Egypt  and  knew 
nothing  but  the  lash  of  their  Egyptian  task- 
masters and  the  fears  of  their  own  hearts. 
These  two  young  men  of  Joshua's  time  had 
been  born  in  the  wilderness.  Constant  battling 
with  foes  arrayed  against  them  had  made  them 
strong.  The  people  were  now  all  of  one  mind. 
They  had  one  determined  purpose,  and  that  was 
to  enter  Canaan.  And  as  you  all  know,  when 
people,  one  or  many,  fully  determine  to  do  any- 
thing, there  is  nothing  that  will  stop  them.  It 
was  a  very  different  Israel  at  rest  by  the  shores 
of  Jordan  than  the  feeble,  divided  host  that 
had  camped  by  the  mountain  in  Moses'  time. 

Let  us  leave  Joshua  and  the  Hebrews  making 
themselves  ready  for  their  march  and  follow 


go          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

our  two  spies  as  they  journey  across  the  plain 
to  Jericho.  They  must  move  quickly,  as  the 
city  gates  will  be  closed  and  barred  at  sundown. 
Soon  they  are  in  sight  of  Jericho's  walls,  and  one 
spy  asks  his  companion  to  look  at  a  tall  tower 
upon  the  wall.  He  thinks  people  are  living  in 
it.  They  may  keep  lodgers,  he  says  to  his 
friend,  and  if  so,  it  is  safer  to  stay  there  than 
venture  farther  into  the  city.  Besides,  it  is 
close  to  the  gate. 

Perhaps  you  are  wondering  what  were  the 
names  of  these  spies.  We  all  feel  so  much 
better  acquainted  with  people  if  we  know  their 
names.  The  Bible  does  not  give  their  names, 
but  it  does  say  that  Salmon  of  Israel  married 
Rahab.  So  people  have  loved  to  think  that 
one  of  these  spies  was  Salmon. 

"I  think  I  should  like  to  call  the  other  one 
Benjamin,"  chimes  in  a  little  girl. 

Very  well,  it  can  do  no  harm.  And  if  calling 
them  Salmon  and  Benjamin  will  make  them 
seem  nearer  to  us,  it  is  best  to  do  so. 

Travelers  were  passing  back  and  forth 
through  the  city  gates.  Jericho  was  a  market 
for  many  foreign  countries.  Camels  laden  with 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  91 

dyes,  linens,  and  rich  garments  were  lying  down 
as  merchants  and  people  bargained  with  each 
other  about  prices.  The  city  was  wealthy,  her 
silver  and  gold  plentiful;  fat  cattle  and  many 
sheep  grazed  upon  her  plains.  She  was  a  trader 
with  cities  and  peoples  near  and  far,  and 
through  her  streets  there  daily  passed  foreigners 
from  the  far  eastern  countries.  Many  lan- 
guages must  have  been  spoken  and  strange 
faces  seen,  so  it  is  not  surprising  that  in  the 
crowd  our  two  spies  slipped  unnoticed  through 
the  gates  and  made  their  way  to  Rahab's  house 
upon  the  walls. 

Perhaps  you  boys  and  girls  are  saying  that 
if  you  had  been  the  spies  you  would  not  have 
stopped  at  Rahab's  inn.  You  would  have  gone 
on  to  the  king's  palace  and  heard  what  the 
rulers  of  the  country  were  talking  about.  But 
it  is  not  in  kings'  palaces  that  we  hear  much 
gossip.  There  the  talking  is  only  for  a  favored 
few  and  often  behind  closed  doors.  To  stop  at 
the  public  house  was  the  wiser  plan.  Where 
many  travelers  met,  the  townspeople  would 
gather  to  exchange  news  with  them.  Of  one 
thing  everybody  was  talking — the  victorious 


92          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

inarch  of  Israel  toward  Canaan.  A  feeble 
people  whom  they  had  all  despised  were  now 
stronger  than  themselves,  and  their  kings  were 
conquerors.  How  they  did  it  no  one  was  able 
to  tell,  but  a  stranger  who  had  once  lived  in 
Israel  said  it  was  because  they  had  a  God 
different  from  the  gods  of  the  other  nations. 
Jehovah  was  His  name. 

"We  have  gods  also,"  the  people  of  the  city 
replied.  "Look  at  our  Molech,  who  loves  to 
destroy  little  children  with  fire;  and  Chemosh 
and  Baal,  are  they  not  powerful?" 

"But  those  Israelites  say  your  gods  are  no 
gods,"  replied  the  stranger;  "that  Jehovah  is 
the  lord  of  the  whole  earth,  and  that  His  law  no 
one  can  change." 

"How  absurd!"  laughed  the  citizens  of 
Jericho.  "We  all  know  that  Molech  is  pleased 
when  we  burn  our  children  upon  his  altar,  and 
that  we  can  make  him  change  his  laws  by  this 
practice.  A  god  that  does  not  change — that 
is  nonsense!" 

Rahab  had  listened  for  months  to  these 
jeers  at  Jehovah,  but  it  had  only  strengthened 
her  faith  in  Him.  She  may  have  had  a  friend 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  93 

who  had  been  forced  by  the  priests  of  Molech 
to  lay  her  baby  in  the  molten  arms  of  his  hideous 
image,  and  as  the  little  one's  feeble  screams  had 
been  stilled  by  the  devouring  flames  it  may 
have  been  Rahab's  hands  that  had  led  the  poor 
mother  back  to  the  childless  home.  A  God 
who  had  some  mercy,  whose  law  did  not  change, 
was  a  God  so  much  better  than  the  cruel  fire- 
gods  of  her  people  that  Rahab  wanted  to  know 
more  about  Him  and  about  His  people  Israel. 

As  the  tales  about  Israel  went  around  that 
night,  there  were  some  in  Rahab's  house  who 
looked  suspiciously  at  the  spies.  Soon  they 
left  the  others  and,  speeding  to  the  king's 
palace,  said,  "Behold,  there  came  men  in  hither 
to-night  of  the  children  of  Israel  to  search  out 
the  land." 

Back  went  word  from  the  king  to  Rahab 
demanding  that  she  give  up  the  men  that  were 
in  her  house.  "Bring  forth  the  men  that  are 
come  to  thee,  that  are  entered  into  thy  house; 
for  they  are  come  to  search  out  all  the  land," 
were  his  words. 

"Oh,  I  hope  she  didn't  give  them  up!"  cries 
a  little  girl. 


94          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

No,  she  told  the  messengers  who  came  for 
them  that  they  were  not  there.  They  had  gone 
out  of  the  gates  just  before  they  had  been  closed 
for  the  night. 

"But  that  wasn't  the  truth,"  adds  a  boy. 
"She  had  hidden  the  spies  on  her  roof  under 
stalks  of  flax." 

"We  learn  in  Sunday  school  that  it  is  never 
right  to  tell  a  lie,"  you  are  all  thinking. 

It  never  is.  But  in  the  time  of  our  story 
people  were  afraid  to  tell  the  truth.  They 
knew  no  better  than  to  deceive.  Fear  of  their 
gods  and  of  one  another  made  them  tell  what 
was  not  true.  Look  around  you  to-day  and  see 
for  yourself.  Is  it  the  people  who  are  afraid  or 
those  who  have  courage  who  are  the  most 
truthful?  Rahab's  day  was  the  age  of  fear. 
She  was  afraid  of  her  gods,  of  her  people,  and 
of  the  conquering  Hebrew  host. 

The  king's  messengers  left  Rahab's  house 
and,  unlocking  the  city  gates,  sped  out  into  the 
plain.  Clear  to  the  fords  of  the  Jordan  did 
they  go,  but  they  found  no  men. 

"Did  they  shut  the  gates  after  them?" 
inquires  a  child. 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  95 

"Yes,"  answers  a  boy.  "Those  ancient 
cities  never  left  a  gate  in  their  walls  open  or 
unlocked  after  dark." 

Rahab's  work  was  not  over.  The  spies 
were  in  her  house,  and  the  gate  of  the  city 
closed.  What  should  she  do  with  them?  How 
could  she  save  them? 

As  she  wished  to  save  the  spies,  she  soon 
thought  of  a  way  to  do  it.  On  her  roof  lay 
coils  of  scarlet  rope.  The  window  on  the  tower 
overlooked  the  plain;  she  would  let  them  down 
out  of  the  window  with  the  rope. 

You  may  be  asking  why  a  woman  of  Jericho 
wished  to  save  the  enemies  of  her  city.  I  think 
it  must  have  been  because  she  was  sick  at  heart 
over  the  horrible  and  cruel  practices  of  her 
people  when  they  worshiped  their  gods.  She 
had  heard  of  Jehovah.  She  knew  that  the  people 
who  acknowledged  Him  as  their  God  did  many 
wicked  and  cruel  things,  but  that  was  the  fault 
of  the  people  and  not  of  Jehovah.  A  God  who 
loved  and  blessed  His  people  instead  of  torment- 
ing them  as  did  the  gods  of  the  Canaanites,  she 
wanted  to  know  more  about,  and  here  were  the 
two  spies  who  could  tell  her.  You  remember 


96          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

the  Bible  says  of  Rahab,1  "By  faith  Rahab 
the  innkeeper  perished  not  with  the  unbelievers, 
for  she  had  received  the  spies  with  peace." 

She  ran  quickly  up  to  the  roof  after  she  had 
sent  the  pursuers  away.  Calling  to  the  men, 
she  told  them  of  "her  plan,  saying,  "I  know 
that  Jehovah  hath  given  you  the  land,  and  that 
the  fear  of  you  is  fallen  upon  us,  and  that  all  the 
inhabitants  of  the  land  melt  away  before  you. 
For  we  have  heard  how  Jehovah  dried  up  the 
water  of  the  Red  Sea  before  you,  when  ye  came 
out  of  Egypt;  ....  for  Jehovah  your  God, 
He  is  God  in  heaven  above,  and  on  earth 
beneath." 

Rahab  was  wise  as  well  as  kind,  for  before 
she  allowed  them  to  escape  she  made  them  give 
her  their  oath  that  they  would  save  alive  all  her 
kindred.  Not  one  of  them  was  to  perish  when 
the  walls  of  Jericho  fell.  The  men  agreed  and 
pledged  their  word  to  her,  saying,  "Our  life 
for  yours,  if  ye  utter  not  this  our  business ;  and 
it  shall  be,  when  Jehovah  giveth  us  the  land, 
that  we  will  deal  kindly  and  truly  with  thee. 
....  Behold,  when  we  come  into  the  land, 

1  Ferrar  Fenton 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  97 

thou  shalt  bind  this  line  of  scarlet  thread  in 
the  window  which  thou  didst  let  us  down  by." 
This  she  was  to  do  so  that  the  spies  could 
recognize  her  house.  But  to  be  spared,  her 
kindred  and  she  herself  must  be  in  her  house; 
anyone  remaining  outside  must  perish  with  the 
city. 

This  is  the  reason  why  on  the  night  on  which 
our  story  opens  there  waved  a  scarlet  cord  from 
a  window  in  a  tower  upon  the  wall.  Let  us  go 
back  to  the  place  and  time  in  which  our  story 
began.  We  left  the  silent  Jewish  host  encamped 
before  Jericho  as  they  ate  the  passover,  and  we 
were  looking  with  sad  eyes  at  a  great  city 
doomed  to  destruction.  In  our  day  neither 
you  nor  I  can  understand  why  one  nation 
should  want  to  destroy  another.  But  when 
Rahab  lived,  it  was  a  time  for  hating.  People 
then  had  not  been  taught  to  love.  We  will 
stand  here  by  the  tower  and  look  across  the 
plain.  The  moonlight  is  brilliant,  so  that  we 
can  see  easily  every  movement  in  the  camp  of 
Israel.  Three  shadows  creep  out  from  the 
silent  camp  and  are  coming  toward  us.  They 
are  men.  They  are  looking  for  something. 


98          OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Suddenly  one  of  them  seizes  the  arm  of  the 
leader  and  points  to  the  tower.  "Ah,  Rahab, 
you  have  kept  your  word,"  we  can  almost 
hear  them  say,  and  we  know  that  they  add, 
"As  you  have  been  true  to  us,  so  shall  we  keep 
the  promise  we  have  made  to  you." 

"And  who  are  these  men?"  you  are  asking. 

The  great  leader  Joshua  and  our  two  spies. 
Joshua  had  commanded  Israel  to  destroy 
Jericho.  But  first,  he  told  the  spies,  they  must 
bring  Rahab  and  all  who  were  in  her  house  to  a 
place  of  safety.  The  walls  must  fall,  and  after- 
ward the  city  and  its  people  be  destroyed  by 
sword  and  fire,  but  upon  Rahab  and  her  kindred 
no  harm  should  come. 

Do  you  wonder  what  became  of  Rahab? 
She  lived  in  Israel  and  Jehovah  became  her  God. 
She  and  Salmon  were  the  parents  of  Boaz,  who 
married  Ruth.  This  is  why  we  like  to  think 
that  Salmon  was  one  of  the  spies  that  Rahab 
saved.  Both  Salmon  and  Rahab  were  young. 
Each  was  brave,  and  both  of  them  kept  their 
word. 

It  was  their  descendant,  King  David,  the 
beloved  of  Israel,  who  said, 


THE  SCARLET  CORD  99 

"Oh  taste  and  see  that  Jehovah  is  good: 
Blessed  is  the  man  that  taketh  refuge  in  him, 

For  there  is  no  want  to  them  that  fear  him." 

The    scarlet    cord    bound    in    her  window 

showed  Rahab's  faith  in  Israel's  God,  Jehovah. 


IS  IT  TRUE? 

RUTH  AND  NAOMI 

A  little  bird  once  told  me  that  all  young 
people,  big  and  little,  love  a  love  story;  so  I'm 
going  to  tell  you  one.  If  you  will  turn  to  the 
Book  of  Ruth  in  the  Old  Testament — Now 
what  is  the  matter?  Why  do  some  of  you  girls 
look  so  disappointed  and  say,  "The  Old  Testa- 
ment !  That  is  a  part  of  the  Bible,  and  there  are 
no  love  stories  in  that?" 

But  there  are,  and  such  interesting  ones  that 
you  will  not  want  to  lay  the  book  down  until 
you  have  read  the  very  last  word.  In  what 
place  would  it  be  more  natural  for  you  to  find 
a  love  story  than  in  the  Bible? 

If  I  should  ask  any  one  of  you  what  the 
Bible  is,  you  would  say,  "The  ministers  call  it 
the  Word  of  God,"  and  perhaps  there  is  among 
you  a  tiny  girl  just  big  enough  to  hold  the  book 
who  will  add  quickly,  "My  mother  says,  God 
is  love." 

Then  why  be  surprised  if  the  Bible  tells  a 
story  of  love,  with  a  hero  and  heroine  having 
experiences  just  as  exciting  as  in  any  story  book, 

100 


IS  IT  TRUE?  101 

and  ending  with  a  wedding,  just  as  you  want 
all  of  your  favorite  stories  to  end? 

You  have  read  the  story  of  the  wonderful 
boy  David,  and  perhaps  have  asked,  "Has  the 
Bible  any  stories  of  wonderful  girls?"  Or  you 
may  have  looked  through  the  Book  to  find  out 
for  yourselves  and  have  been  answered  by  the 
story  of  Ruth. 

She  was  a  Moabitess.  In  those  days  that 
was  the  same  as  saying  that  she  was  a  heathen ; 
and  then  as  now  no  one  expected  much  of  a 
heathen.  But  the  world  is  so  full  of  surprises 
that  we  have  to  look  sharp  and  think  fast  to 
keep  up  with  all  that  come  to  us.  Ruth's 
people,  the  Moabites,  believed  in  a  god  named 
Chemosh  who  was  very  cruel  and  often  made 
his  people  suffer.  Naomi,  Ruth's  mother-in-law, 
was  a  Hebrew  and  had  been  taught  that 
the  Hebrew's  God,  Jehovah,  gave  only  bless- 
ings to  those  who  obeyed  his  commandments. 
Righ  there  is  the  surprise.  We  find  Naomi 
complaining  and  finding  fault,  saying  that  her 
God  is  sending  her  trouble,  while  Ruth's  spirit 
is  bubbling  over  with  love  and  good  will 
toward  all. 


102         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Naomi  and  her  husband,  Elimelech,  with 
their  two  sons,  had  moved  from  Bethlehem- 
judah  to  the  plains  of  Moab  because  of  a  famine 
in  Judea.  In  those  days  a  famine  was  a  more 
serious  matter  than  it  is  now.  With  the  tele- 
phone, the  telegraph,  and  our  great  ocean  ves- 
sels and  steam  trains,  any  barren  part  of  our 
country  where  the  crops  have  failed  or  the  frost 
has  killed  them  can  easily  get  relief.  Now  a 
message  can  go  round  the  earth  in  a  few  hours. 
But  in  the  time  of  our  story  there  was  no  way  of 
traveling  except  by  walking,  unless  one  was 
rich  enough  to  have  camels  and  oxen  or  donkeys. 

In  the  days  of  Ruth,  traveling  was  very  dan- 
gerous, and  no  one  was  sure  when  he  started  out 
that  he  would  get  safely  to  his  destination.  If 
you  have  read  the  stories  of  our  early  American 
settlers  and  of  the  troubles  they  had  with  the 
Indians,  and  often  with  wild  animals,  you  will 
have  a  good  idea  of  the  wildness  of  the  times  of  the 
Judges,  for  it  was  in  their  time  that  Ruth  lived. 

You  can  also  understand  how  very  hungry 
Naomi  and  her  husband,  Elimelech,  must  have 
been  to  leave  their  safe  home  in  Bethlehem- 
judah,  with  their  two  boys,  Mahlon  and  Chilion, 


IS  IT  TRUE?  103 

and  walk,  or  ride  by  means  of  oxen  or  camels, 
to  the  plains  of  Moab.  There  were  mountains, 
sea,  and  deserts  between  them  and  Moab,  and 
we  wonder  how  the  little  family  ever  managed 
to  get  there.  But  they  were  hungry,  and  bread 
was  in  Moab.  They  had  an  object  in  view,  and 
like  David,  who  always  aimed  straight  at  his 
object,  our  family  looked  straight  ahead  at  the 
bread  that  was  to  be  had  in  Moab  instead  of 
wasting  time  thinking  of  the  dangers  of  the 
journey. 

They  found  food  and  friends  in  Moab  and 
liked  it  so  well  that  they  stayed  there  even  after 
the  famine  was  over  in  Judea.  Their  two  boys 
grew  to  be  men  and  married  women  of  Moab. 
They  were  very  happy,  for  theirs  was  a  home 
rich  in  kindness  and  none  of  them  thought  of 
their  having  any  more  trouble.  But  it  came. 
Elimelech  and  his  sons,  Mahlon  and  Chilion, 
died,  and  Naomi  and  her  two  daughters-in-law 
became  widows.  Poor  Ruth  and  Orpah  with 
Naomi  were  now  alone. 

"But  they  were  not  alone,"  some  of  you 
older  girls  will  say,  "for  they  must  have  had 
many  friends;  and  Ruth  and  Orpah,  who  were 

8 


io4        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Moabites,  must  have  had  relatives  who  would 
care  for  them." 

Yes,  for  you  girls  of  to-day  that  is  a  very  nat- 
ural way  of  thinking.  But  do  you  know  that 
in  those  days  women  had  no  independence  and 
were  bought  and  sold  the  same  as  furniture  and 
cattle?  For  a  girl  not  to  belong  to  someone 
was  to  be  without  any  protection,  and  for  young 
women  that  was  a  very  serious  matter.  A  girl 
without  male  relatives  never  knew  what  might 
happen  to  her  that  she  would  not  be  able  to 
resist,  and  having  no  "owner"  to  fight  for  her, 
she  would  be  powerless. 

You  may  say,  "But  Ruth  and  Orpah  must 
have  had  parents  who  would  care  for  them." 

Yes,  if  they  wished  to.  But  when  a  girl 
married  she  lost  by  law  the  protection  of  her 
father  and  other  male  relatives.  Her  only  law- 
ful claim  was  on  the  male  relatives  of  her  dead 
husband. 

Naomi,  broken-hearted,  decided  to  return 
to  Bethlehem-judah.  She  had  heard  that  her 
own  country  now  had  plenty  of  food.  She  had 
probably  heard  this  often  before,  but  paid  no 
attention  to  it,  just  as  we  all  let  things  pass  by 


IS  IT  TRUE?  105 

until  we  think  they  can  be  of  use  to  us,  and  then 
suddenly  the  uninteresting  becomes  interesting. 
A  little  girl  whom  I  knew,  would  not  study  and 
hated  to  go  to  school,  but  she  loved  stories. 
There  was  not  always  someone  to  read  them  to 
her,  and  so  she  made  up  her  mind  that  she  would 
learn  to  read  them  herself  even  if  she  had 
to  study.  Then  she  studied.  So  it  was  with 
Naomi.  As  long  as  things  went  along  easily 
and  pleasantly  she  was  satisfied.  Her  name, 
"Naomi,"  you  know,  means  "pleasant."  I 
have  known  girls,  and  I  am  sure  you  have,  too, 
who  instead  of  running  away  from  disagreeable 
things  stayed  right  where  they  were  and  turned 
the  unpleasantness  into  pleasantness.  This  was 
Ruth's  way,  as  you  will  see.  Naomi,  trying 
hard  to  find  pleasure,  going  from  her  own  coun- 
try to  a  strange  one  and  back  again,  I  am  very 
sorry  to  say  carried  with  her  a  spirit  of  com- 
plaining, faultfinding,  and  fretfulness.  At  last 
she  called  herself  "Marah, "  which  means  "bit- 
terness." I  think  she  deserved  that  name  in 
the  first  place,  don't  you? 

The  two  sons  and  their  wives  and  Naomi 
had  been  very  happy  together,  so  that  when 


106         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Naomi  was  going  back  to  her  own  country  her 
two  daughters-in-law  wanted  to  return  with 
her.  They  were  very  busy  getting  ready,  seeing 
that  their  sandals  were  in  good  order,  filling  their 
pockets, — the  long  loose  bosom  of  their  outer 
coat  was  frequently  used  for  storing  food, — 
fastening  up  their  flowing  skirts  with  a  tight 
girdle  so  that  they  could  walk  more  easily,  sell- 
ing or  giving  away  the  little  property  they 
owned,  and  waiting  for  some  caravan  which 
was  going  up  to  Bethlehem  to  pass  their  way. 
To  you  who  can  step  into  a  comfortable 
sleeping  car  and  go  alone  thousands  of  miles, 
arriving  safely  at  your  journey's  end,  this  wait- 
ing for  people  who  might  be  going  your  way 
may  seem  foolish.  But  in  the  days  of  the 
Judges  no  one  who  wished  to  arrive  anywhere 
safely  ever  traveled  alone.  So  Naomi,  Orpah, 
and  Ruth  daily  looked  across  the  plains  for  a 
caravan — that  is,  a  band  of  men,  camels,  cattle, 
and  slaves,  walking  and  riding  by  day,  sleeping 
on  the  ground  or  under  rude  tents  at  night,  as 
they  journeyed  from  town  to  town.  They  must 
also  carry  water,  not  only  to  drink,  but  to  keep 
their  hands  clean.  Keeping  the  hands  clean 


IS  IT  TRUE?  107 

was  even  more  necessary  than  it  is  now,  for  the 
food  for  all  was  in  one  common  dish  set  in  the 
center  of  a  group  of  people.  Each  one  put  his 
hand  into  the  dish  and  helped  himself,  so  of 
course  clean  hands  were  insisted  upon. 

Perhaps  you  who  have  read  the  Book  of 
Ruth  will  say,  "  But  the  Bible  does  not  tell  any 
of  these  things  about  their  journey."  Of  course 
not,  for  the  Bible  is  talking  to  those  who  are  sup- 
posed to  know  what  the  customs  of  the  people 
were  in  the  time  of  the  Judges.  If  I  should 
tell  you  that  my  little  neighbor  is  going  with 
her  father  to  California,  it  would  not  be  necessary 
for  me  to  tell  you  all  about  how  they  were  going. 
You  know  how  people  travel  in  this  day. 

Before  Naomi  had  gone  very  far  on  her  jour- 
ney she  began  to  be  uneasy  about  her  daughters- 
in-law.  Although  she  loved  them  dearly  and 
was  glad  to  have  them  with  her,  she  feared— 
that  is  just  like  Naomi,  isn't  it,  always  afraid  of 
something?  —  that  they  might  not  be  comfort- 
able or  happy  in  her  country,  which  was  a  strange 
one  to  them,  and  so  she  stopped  and  urged  them 
to  go  back.  She  could  see  only  sorrow  ahead 
for  herself  and  for  them.  If  there  was  anything 


io8         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

good  to  expect,  she  failed  to  see  it.  Looking 
at  the  dark  side  of  things  is  to  thought  what 
smoke  is  to  the  eyes — everything  is  clouded 
and  seems  gloomy.  So  it  was  with  our  poor 
disappointed  Naomi. 

She  kissed  both  her  daughters-in-law  and 
said  to  them,  "Go,  return  each  of  you  to  your 
mother's  house:  Jehovah  deal  kindly  with  you, 
as  ye  have  dealt  with  the  dead,  and  with  me. 
Jehovah  grant  you  that  ye  may  find  rest,  each 
of  you  in  the  house  of  her  husband." 

They  cried  bitterly  at  her  words  and  refused 
to  leave  her,  saying,  "Nay,  but  we  will  return 
with  thee  unto  thy  people." 

But  Naomi  was  firm  and  continued  to  urge 
them  to  turn  back,  saying,  "Turn  again,  my 
daughters,  go  your  way  ...  it  grieveth  me 
much  for  your  sakes,  for  the  hand  of  Jehovah  is 
gone  forth  against  me." 

Orpah  and  Ruth  were  both  affectionate  and 
sincere  and  wanted  to  be  with  their  mother- 
in-law.  But  Naomi  was  so  filled  with  fear  that 
Orpah  began  to  feel  it  herself,  and  to  wonder  if, 
after  all,  it  would  not  be  wiser  to  remain  in  her 
own  country  than  to  venture  into  an  unknown 


IS  IT  TRUE?  109 

land  whose  dangers  might  be  even  worse  than 
those  with  which  she  was  familiar.  So  Orpah 
kissed  Naomi  and  turned  back  toward  Moab, 
crying  bitterly  as  she  went. 

Naomi,  much  surprised  at  Ruth's  refusing 
to  leave  her,  tried  again  to  show  her  how  much 
better  it  would  be  for  her  to  return  to  her  own 
people  and  her  own  god.  But  Ruth's  love  would 
not  let  her  listen  to  Naomi's  fears,  and  she 
spoke  the  words  that  have  lived  for  thousands 
of  years,  so  full  are  they  of  love  and  devotion: 
"Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  and  to  return 
from  following  after  thee;  for  whither  thou 
goest,  I  will  go;  and  where  thou  lodgest,  I  will 
lodge;  thy  people  shall  be  my  people,  and  thy 
God  my  God;  where  thou  diest,  will  I  die,  and 
there  will  I  be  buried ;  Jehovah  do  so  to  me,  and 
more  also,  if  aught  but  death  part  thee  and  me." 

Naomi  was  silent.  Her  fears  for  the  moment 
were  quieted.  She  experienced  then  the  truth 
of  what  the  apostle  John  stated  centuries  later: 
"Perfect  love  casteth  out  fear."  Which  loved 
the  more,  Orpah  or  Ruth?  Some  of  you  young 
people  will  be  in  doubt;  others  will  say  they 
loved  equally  well,  but  that  Orpah  was  more 


no        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

cautious,  which  is  necessary  if  one  wishes  to 
get  on  in  the  world.  A  few  I  can  hear  saying 
to  themselves,  "Love  therefore  is  the  fulfillment 
of  the  law."  Love  never  acknowledges  itself 
beaten  but  accomplishes  the  good  it  sets  out  to 
do.  What  was  terror  to  Naomi  and  Orpah  was 
a  pathway  of  peace  to  Ruth.  In  the  house  of 
Naomi  and  her  Hebrew  husband,  Mahlon,  Ruth 
had  been  taught  that  God  dealt  kindly  and 
justly  with  all  who  really  loved  Him  and  kept 
His  commandments.  To  this  poor  heathen 
Moabitish  maiden  it  was  very  simple — just 
obey  and  love  instead  of  being  driven  frantic  by 
fear.  You  see  she  had  put  into  practice  what 
they  preached. 

It  was  April,  the  beginning  of  the  barley 
harvest,  when  Ruth  and  Naomi  arrived  in 
Bethlehem.  Naomi  had  changed  so  much  while 
living  in  Moab  that  her  Bethlehem  friends  in 
welcoming  her  had  to  ask,  "Is  this  Naomi?" 
This  sad,  sour-looking  woman  they  could  not 
believe  was  the  happy  Naomi  who  had  left  them 
years  before.  She  was  so  busy  pitying  herself 
that  she  had  no  time  to  be  thankful  when  she 
saw  that  her  old  friends  remembered  her. 


RUTH  AND  NAOMI 


IS  IT  TRUE?  in 

Instead  she  complained  that  she  had  gone  away 
full.  What  was  the  matter  with  her  memory? 
Had  she  forgotten  that  it  was  famine,  empti- 
ness, which  made  her  leave  Bethlehem?  And 
here  she  came  back  saying  that  she  had  gone 
away  full  and  that  her  God  had  brought  her 
back  empty.  But,  after  all,  Naomi  was  not  so 
very  unusual.  I  have  met  people  just  like  her 
in  these  days,  who,  as  soon  as  any  trouble  came 
to  them,  forgot  all  their  blessings  and  blamed 
God  for  their  misfortunes  instead  of  looking 
around  to  see  what  mistake  they  had  made  and 
bravely  setting  out  to  correct  it. 

Ruth  had  had  a  happy  journey;  she  had 
been  expecting  and  looking  for  good  things  all 
the  way.  So  instead  of  feeling  weak  and  weary 
when  she  arrived,  she  was  as  full  of  life  and  as 
strong  as  when  she  started,  and  immediately 
wanted  to  go  to  work. 

She  wanted  to  glean,  for  it  was  the  time  of 
the  barley  harvest.  To  be  sure,  barley  was  the 
food  of  only  the  poorest  people  and  some  of  them 
would  not  touch  it,  thinking  it  fit  only  for  cattle. 
But  Ruth  never  let  an  opportunity  slip  by  her. 
Little  things,  she  thought,  were  far  better  than 


ii2         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

nothing  at  all.  She  could  glean,  and  that  meant 
some  food,  which  was  much  better  than  starva- 
tion. In  those  days  the  corners  of  the  grain 
fields  were  not  touched  by  the  owner;  the  grain 
growing  there  was  left  for  the  poor.  If  the 
reapers  dropped  grain  anywhere  else  in  the  field, 
they  were  not  allowed  to  pick  it  up,  but  had  to 
leave  it  for  the  poor  to  glean.  Picking  up  the 
fallen  grain  after  the  reapers  was  called  gleaning. 

Ruth  went  cheerfully  to  work,  feeling  sure 
that  although  she  was  a  heathen  in  the  sight  of 
the  Hebrews  (Naomi's  people  were  Hebrews), 
there  must  be  some  of  them  who  were  like  the 
God  they  worshiped — full  of  loving  kindness. 
And  she  found  just  what  she  expected,  for  she 
went  into  the  field  of  Boaz,  a  wealthy,  kindly 
man  who  was  a  relative  of  Mahlon,  her  dead 
husband. 

"Jehovah  be  with  you!"  he  said  to  his 
workers  as  he  came  into  the  field,  and  they 
all  replied,  ' '  Jehovah  bless  thee !"  His  reapers 
and  gleaners  were  glad  to  see  him,  for  he 
always  had  a  cheery  greeting  for  them  besides 
being  careful  of  them  and  making  it  comfortable 
for  them  as  they  worked. 


IS  IT  TRUE?  113 

Boaz  had  come  to  look  over  his  fields  and  to 
talk  with  the  overseer  about  the  crops,  when  he 
saw  Ruth  not  far  from  where  he  was  standing. 
She  was  so  busy  gleaning  she  had  not  noticed 
him.  He  was  interested  at  once  in  what  had 
brought  this  stranger  to  his  fields,  and  asked  his 
overseer  who  she  was  and  where  she  came  from. 
The  man  replied  that  she  was  the  Moabitess, 
Ruth,  the  widow  of  Mahlon  and  daughter- 
in-law  of  Naomi,  who  had  just  come  back  from 
Moab.  Ruth  had  loved  Naomi  so  much  she 
had  come  to  the  Hebrews'  country,  leaving  her 
parents  and  friends  and  even  her  god  for  the  sake 
of  being  with  her  mother-in-law. 

What  a  pretty  picture  she  made  as  she  stood 
there  in  the  sunshine  brushing  aside  the  dark 
curls  that  would  get  into  her  eyes!  Such  clear, 
fearless  eyes  they  were  that  it  gave  one  courage 
to  look  at  them.  Did  she  ever  get  tired,  Boaz 
wondered,  as  she  easily  bent  down  to  the  ground 
picking  up  grain,  and  as  quickly  straightened 
herself  again  to  drop  the  kernels  into  her  wide, 
flowing  apron. 

He  watched  her  as  she  followed  the  reapers. 
Then  turning  to  his  young  men,  he  told  them  to 


ii4        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

treat  the  stranger  well,  to  drop  plenty  of  grain 
for  her  to  glean,  and  to  see  that  she  had  good, 
fresh  water  to  drink.  He  sent  a  greeting  to 
Ruth  by  his  reapers,  and  later  he  went  himself 
and  spoke  to  her,  saying,  "Hearest  thou  not, 
my  daughter?  Go  not  to  glean  in  another  field, 
neither  pass  from  hence,  but  abide  here  fast  by 
my  maidens.  Let  thine  eyes  be  on  the  field 
that  they  do  reap,  and  go  thou  after  them:  have 
I  not  charged  the  young  men  that  they  shall 
not  touch  thee?  and  when  thou  art  at  hirst,  go 
unto  the  vessels,  and  drink  of  that  which  the 
young  men  have  drawn." 

Falling  on  her  face  —  the  way  of  greeting 
a  superior  in  rank — Ruth  replied,  "  Why  have  I 
found  favor  in  thy  sight,  that  thou  shouldest  take 
knowledge  of  me,  seeing  I  am  a  foreigner?" 

Boaz  answered  that  he  had  heard  of  her 
kindness  to  her  mother-in-law,  that  she  had 
left  her  country  and  her  god  to  be  with  the 
Hebrews  and  worship  Jehovah;  and  he  added, 
"Jehovah  recompense  thy  work,  and  a  full 
reward  be  given  thee  of  Jehovah,  the  God  of 
Israel,  under  whose  wings  thou  art  come  to  take 
refuge." 


IS  IT  TRUE?  115 

His  wish  for  Ruth  was  really  a  promise,  for 
he  intended  to  do  himself  what  he  had  asked  the 
God  of  Israel  to  do  for  her.  Many  good  people 
are  full  of  kind  wishes  for  others,  but  they  never 
do  anything  but  wish,  and  a  man  like  Boaz 
knew  that  wishing  without  acting  was  not  worth 
much. 

Then  the  hot  noon  came.  The  blazing  sun 
that  had  beaten  on  the  workers  all  the  morning 
was  almost  unbearable,  and,  like  all  workers 
in  our  day,  they  began  to  think  of  resting  and 
having  something  to  eat.  Some  shady  spot, 
perhaps  near  a  well  of  water,  was  soon  found, 
and  they  all  sat  on  the  ground  around  the  dinner 
of  parched  corn,  bread,  and  vinegar.  "Ugh," 
I  can  hear  you  say,  what  a  meal  for  hungry 
people!  Did  anyone  eat  anything?"  Indeed 
they  did,  and  were  very  glad  to  get  it.  In  that 
day  it  was  a  bounteous  meal  for  reapers  and 
gleaners,  for  sometimes  the  gleaners  got  nothing 
at  all  to  eat. 

Boaz  had  invited  Ruth  to  eat  with  them, 
and  looked  out  for  her  wants  so  carefully  that 
after  she  had  finished  eating  she  had  enough  to 
take  home  to  her  mother-in-law. 


n6        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Naomi  may  not  have  relished  the  vinegar, 
which  was  a  sour  wine  and  a  very  cool  and  popu- 
lar drink  in  that  hot  country,  nor  had  as  much 
appetite  for  the  parched  corn — ears  of  wheat 
roasted  and  the  kernels  shaken  out — as  had 
Ruth.  Work  and  a  cheery  spirit  give  one  an 
appetite,  while  staying  at  home  with  gloomy 
thoughts  and  wondering  what  evil  thing  is 
going  to  happen  next,  would  make  the  dain- 
tiest food  taste  bad.  Try  it  yourselves  and  see. 

Back  to  the  fields  went  Ruth  after  dinner 
and  gleaned  until  dusk.  Then  she  beat  out  the 
grain  with  stones  until  she  had  "about  an  ephah 
of  barley, "  which  is  nearly  a  bushel.  Think  of 
working  in  the  fields  from  sunrise  until  sunset 
for  only  a  bushel  of  barley,  and  being  thankful 
for  it!  But  our  heroine  Ruth  had  learned  that 
being  glad  made  other  people  glad,  and  that 
when  one  was  happy  things  went  much  better. 

We  can  see  her  as  she  flew  along  the  path  to 
her  home,  singing  as  she  went,  and  eager  to 
cheer  Naomi  with  the  good  news  of  the  day. 
Wouldn't  Naomi's  sad  face  lighten  when  she 
heard  of  Boaz  and  of  his  kindness  to  the  little 
Moabitish  stranger? 


IS  IT  TRUE?  117 

Naomi  was  anxiously  watching  for  Ruth, 
and  asked  at  once  where  she  had  gleaned  and  if 
people  had  been  kind  to  her.  Of  course  they 
had  been  kind,  thought  her  mother-in-law,  for 
who  could  help  being  kind  to  Ruth? 

When  Ruth  told  her  of  Boaz,  Naomi  must 
have  felt  ashamed  that  she  had  not  herself 
thought  of  this  kind  kinsman.  And  why  had 
she  not?  I  fear  she  had  formed  such  a  habit  of 
being  miserable  that  she  could  not  see  a  blessing 
unless  someone  like  Ruth  showed  it  to  her. 
And  how  glad  she  must  have  been  that  she  had 
Ruth  to  do  this. 

Ruth  was  sure  of  work  until  the  harvest  was 
over,  for  Boaz  had  told  her  to  stay  in  his  fields 
until  all  the  grains  were  harvested.  Right  after 
the  barley,  the  wheat  and  other  grains  would 
be  ready,  which  meant  a  period  of  work  for  six 
or  eight  weeks.  Boaz  seemed  every  day  to 
grow  kinder  and  more  thoughtful  of  Ruth's 
comfort,  and  often  came  to  her  side  of  the  field 
and  talked  with  her.  She  must  have  told  him 
of  her  life  in  Moab — how  happy  they  all  were 
together  until  Mahlon,  Chilion,  and  Elimelech 
had  died;  how  discouraged  her  mother-in-law 


u8         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

had  been  ever  since,  and  how  she  hoped  to  earn 
enough  to  make  them  a  little  home  once  more. 
Of  course  it  would  never  be  the  same  again 
without  the  three  who  had  gone,  but  they  had 
each  other,  and  that  was  something  to  be  thank- 
ful for. 

Naomi  was  encouraged  to  learn  that  Ruth 
was  to  keep  gleaning  in  Boaz'  fields,  and  she 
began  to  think  and  plan  for  her.  Why,  she 
said  to  herself,  wouldn't  Boaz  make  Ruth  a 
good  husband?  He  is  fond  of  her  and  she  would 
make  any  man  a  good  wife.  But  of  these  things 
she  said  nothing  to  Ruth  until  the  end  of  the 
harvest.  It  was  better  not  to  speak  too  soon, 
for  that  might  spoil  it  all. 

At  last  the  reapers  and  the  gleaners  were 
through,  the  grain  was  ready  to  be  threshed, 
and  the  time  had  come  for  Naomi  to  act  and 
tell  Ruth  of  her  plan.  When  Ruth  came  in 
from  the  fields  that  evening,  Naomi  told  her  to 
wash  and  anoint  herself.  How  astonished  Ruth 
must  have  been  to  receive  such  directions  from 
the  sad  Naomi!  Why?  Because  washing  and 
anointing  in  those  days  meant  joy.  When 
people  were  in  mourning,  especially  if  their 


IS  IT  TRUE?  119 

grief  was  very  bitter,  they  went  unwashed  and 
did  not  anoint  themselves. 

Naomi  thought  a  careful  man  like  Boaz 
would  probably  sleep  at  the  threshing  floor  and 
watch  that  none  of  his  grain  was  stolen,  so  she 
said  to  Ruth,  "My  daughter,  shall  I  not  seek 
rest  for  thee,  that  it  may  be  well  with  thee? 
And  now  is  not  Boaz  our  kinsman,  with  whose 
maidens  thou  wast?  Behold,  he  winnoweth 
barley  to-night  in  the  threshing-floor.  Wash 
thyself  therefore,  and  anoint  thee,  and  put  thy 
raiment  upon  thee,  and  get  thee  down  to  the 
threshing-floor;  but  make  not  thyself  known 
unto  the  man,  until  he  shall  have  done  eating 
and  drinking.  And  it  shall  be,  when  he  lieth 
down,  that  thou  shalt  mark  the  place  where  he 
shall  lie,  and  thou  shalt  go  in,  and  uncover  his 
feet"  — this  was  an  oriental  way  of  placing  her- 
self under  his  protection.  In  those  days  people 
often  made  known  their  thoughts  to  one  another 
by  means  of  symbolic  acts  instead  of  by  using 
words  —  "and  lay  thee  down;  and  he  will  tell 
thee  what  thou  shalt  do." 

Ruth  answered  Naomi,  "All  that  thou  say- 
est  I  will  do."  She  loved  Boaz  and  knew  that 


120        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

as  he  was  a  kinsman  of  her  husband  she  had  a 
right  to  ask  for  his  protection.  In  those  days 
any  widow  could  claim  the  protection  of  her 
husband's  brother,  or,  if  he  had  no  brothers,  of 
the  next  nearest  relative.  But  sometimes  the 
near  relative  refused  to  care  for  the  widow,  in 
which  case  his  name  was  called  ' '  The  house  of 
him  that  hath  his  shoe  loosed." 

Ruth  made  herself  ready  as  her  mother- 
in-law  had  told  her  to  do,  and  after  kissing 
Naomi  good-by  hurried  to  the  threshing-floor, 
which  was  only  a  piece  of  open  ground  beaten 
hard.  She  was  greeted  by  Boaz,  who  was 
pleased  to  see  her  and  told  her  to  take  home  as 
much  barley  as  she  could  carry.  She  watched 
the  patient  oxen  as  they  threshed  the  grain,  and 
listened  to  the  shouts  of  their  drivers  until  all 
was  finished  and  the  tired  workers  lay  down  to 
rest  for  the  night. 

When  Boaz  lay  down  to  sleep,  Ruth  was  to 
go  and  lie  down  at  his  feet,  after  uncovering 
them.  At  midnight  Boaz  was  startled,  and 
wakening,  discovered  someone  lying  at  his  feet. 
He  asked,  "Who  art  thou?"  Ruth  answered, 
"I  am  Ruth  thy  handmaid;  spread  therefore 


IS  IT  TRUE?  121 

thy  skirt  over  thy  handmaid;  for  thou  art  a 
near  kinsman."  She  meant  by  near  kinsman 
one  who  could  by  law  redeem  her  mother- 
in-law's  property  and  give  it  back  to  the  two 
women. 

The  heart  of  Boaz  went  out  to  Ruth,  for 
he  had  noticed  she  did  not  follow  any  of  the 
men,  young  or  old,  among  the  reapers  and 
gleaners.  She  worked  hard,  caring  for  her 
mother-in-law  and  herself,  and  Boaz  had  great 
respect  for  her.  He  explained  to  her  that  he 
really  did  not  have  the  right  to  redeem  Naomi's 
property  as  there  was  a  nearer  kinsman  than 
himself.  He  promised  that  he  would  go  the 
next  morning  and  insist  that  the  nearer  kins- 
man either  redeem  the  property  or  refuse  to  do 
it.  If  the  kinsman  refused,  Boaz  would  be  free 
to  redeem  it  himself  and  would  do  so. 

Early  in  the  morning,  before  it  was  light, 
Ruth  returned  to  Naomi  carrying  a  present  of 
barley  from  Boaz  to  her  mother-in-law.  Naomi 
was  very  happy.  She  felt  that  Ruth  was  now 
going  to  be  cared  for  by  her  wealthy  kinsman 
and  that  all  her  sorrows  would  soon  be  turned 
into  joy. 


122        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

And  so  it  proved.  "Boaz,"  you  know, 
means  "fleetness, "  and  surely  our  hero  deserved 
the  name,  for  he  lost  no  time  in  going  to  the  gate 
of  the  city,  calling  the  elders  together,  and  ask- 
ing the  next  of  kin  to  Naomi  if  he  was  willing 
to  redeem  her  property.  The  man  was  willing. 
People  desired  property  then  as  they  do  now, 
especially  if  it  comes  as  easily  as  this  near  kins- 
man thought  it  was  going  to  come  to  him. 
When  it  was  only  some  money  to  be  paid  out 
for  presumably  a  good  piece  of  land  joining  his 
own,  he  was  willing  to  obey  the  law  for  the  "next 
of  kin";  but,  like  his  brothers  and  sisters  of 
to-day,  when  obedience  meant  personal  sacrifice 
he  had  some  excuse  to  offer  for  not  obeying. 
This  was  the  law :  If  a  man  died  leaving  a  wife 
without  children,  usually  the  dead  man's  brother, 
sometimes  a  near  relative,  was  to  marry  the 
widow,  and  her  first  child  took  the  dead  man's 
name  and  was  considered  the  son  of  the  dead 
man  and  inherited  his  property.  Boaz  knew 
this,  and  tested  the  sincerity  of  the  nearer  kins- 
man by  first  offering  him  the  property,  after- 
ward saying,  "What  day  thou  buyest  the  field 
of  the  hand  of  Naomi,  thou  must  buy  it  also  of 


IS  IT  TRUE?  123 

Ruth  the  Moabitess,  the  wife  of  the  dead,  to 
raise  up  the  name  of  the  dead  upon  his 
inheritance." 

The  nearer  kinsman  replied,  "I  cannot 
redeem  it  for  myself,  lest  I  mar  my  own  inheri- 
tance: take  thou  my  right  of  redemption  on 
thee;  for  I  cannot  redeem  it." 

As  you  see,  he  was  purely  selfish,  thinking 
only  of  himself  and  his  inheritance  which  might 
be  injured  by  obeying  the  conditions  of  the 
law  of  the  brother-in-law. 

Boaz  loved  Ruth  and  intended  to  marry  her 
and  redeem  the  property,  but  in  all  his  dealings 
he  was  just  and  fair,  so  he  gave  the  nearer  kins- 
man a  chance  before  he  offered  to  redeem  the 
property  himself. 

The  nearer  kinsman,  learning  that  he  had  to 
make  some  sacrifice  to  get  the  property,  at  once 
drew  off  his  shoe  and  handed  it  to  Boaz.  "How 
silly!"  you  say.  "What  has  taking  off  a  shoe 
to  do  with  selling  property?"  In  the  time  of 
the  Judges  that  act  meant  something.  As  I 
have  already  told  you,  in  those  days  people  did 
not  have  as  many  words  to  use  as  they  do  now 
and  so  they  talked  to  each  other  in  what  we  call 


i24         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

symbolic  acts.  Taking  off  his  shoe  and  handing 
it  to  Boaz  meant  that  he  gave  up  his  claim  on 
the  property  and  upon  Ruth,  and  gave  to  Boaz 
the  right  to  redeem  them. 

Boaz  very  wisely  called  the  elders  of  the 
people  together  as  witnesses  to  his  agreement 
with  the  nearer  kinsman,  because  he  wanted 
no  trouble  if  afterward  the  kinsman  should 
change  his  mind.  And  to  the  elders  and  to  all 
of  the  people  he  said,  "  Ye  are  witnesses  this  day, 
that  I  have  bought  all  that  was  Elimelech's 
and  all  that  was  Chilion's  and  Mahlon's,  of  the 
hand  of  Naomi.  Moreover,  Ruth  the  Moabitess, 
the  wife  of  Mahlon,  have  I  purchased  to  be  my 
wife,  to  raise  up  the  name  of  the  dead  upon 
his  inheritance,  that  the  name  of  the  dead  be  not 
cut  off  from  among  his  brethren,  and  from  the 
gate  of  his  place:  ye  are  witnesses  this  day." 

The  people  crowded  about  him,  wishing 
both  him  and  Ruth  joy  in  their  married  life, 
saying,  "We  are  witnesses.  Jehovah  make  the 
woman  that  is  come  into  thy  house  like  Rachel 
and  like  Leah,  which  two  did  build  the  house  of 
Israel:  and  do  thou  worthily  in  Ephrathah, 
and  be  famous  in  Bethlehem." 


IS  IT  TRUE?  125 

If  you  have  read  the  parables  in  the  New 
Testament,  many  of  which  describe  weddings, 
you  will  know  what  they  did  at  the  marriage  of 
Ruth  and  Boaz. 

I  am  sorry  about  Naomi.  Even  with  all 
the  joy  going  on  she  seemed  to  be  gloomy. 
Perhaps  she  had  formed  such  a  habit  of  being 
miserable  that  it  was  hard  for  her  to  give  it  up. 
But  a  cheerful  spirit  has  to  be  made  a  habit 
just  as  music  has  to  be  practiced  if  one  wants  to 
succeed.  Practice  cheerfulness  for  one  day  only 
and  see  what  a  difference  it  makes.  Ruth  had 
learned  the  habit  of  being  happy  until  she  really 
could  not  help  it. 

Naomi  never  seemed  to  see  a  blessing  unless 
someone  told  her  of  it,  for  when  Ruth's  little 
son,  Obed,  was  born  the  neighbors  had  to  say 
to  her,  "Blessed  be  Jehovah,  who  hath  not  left 
thee  this  day  without  a  near  kinsman;  and  let 
his  name  be  famous  in  Israel.  And  he  shall  be 
unto  thee  a  restorer  of  life,  and  a  nourisher  of 
thine  old  age;  for  thy  daughter-in-law,  who 
loveth  thee,  who  is  better  to  thee  than  seven 
sons,  hath  borne  him."  That  this  comforted 
Naomi  we  know,  for  she  "took  the  child,  and  laid 


i26        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

it  in  her  bosom,  and  became  nurse  unto  it." 
The  little  Obed  became  the  grandfather  of  King 
David.  "Is  it  true,"  you  ask,  "that  Ruth's 
cheery,  loving  spirit  could  win  so  much  good 
fortune?"  Look  about  you  at  the  people  you 
know  and  answer  this  question  for  yourselves. 


THE    LITTLE    MAID   OF   GILEAD 

JEPHTHAH'S  DAUGHTER 
All  people  have  birthdays  once  a  year.  ' '  My 
sister  has  a  birthday  only  every  four  years," 
interrupts  one  of  my  listeners.  A  leap  year 
baby  she  must  be.  Think  of  it,  her  first  birth- 
day cake  can  have  four  candles  on  it!  But  did 
you  ever  hear  of  anyone  having  four  birthdays 
in  the  same  year?  ''Impossible!"  do  you  say? 
Perhaps,  from  your  way  of  looking  at  it,  but 
after  you  have  heard  my  story  you  may  think 
that  even  four  birthdays  a  year  are  not  enough. 
The  little  maid  of  whom  I  am  going  to  tell 
you  had  passed  only  fourteen  of  those  single 
yearly  birthdays  when  she  performed  such  a 
brave  act  that  her  country  said  she  must  there- 
after have  four  days  a  year  celebrated  in  her 
honor. 

She  was  a  little  creature,  all  smiles,  and  as 
her  feet  danced  in  and  out  of  her  father's  tent 
he  often  called  her  his  sunshine.  She  was  up 
with  the  birds  in  the  morning,  teasing  her  father 
awake  by  stroking  his  eyelids  with  a  feather. 
Then  he  dressed  quickly  and  together  they  went 

127 


128        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

outside  the  tent  and  knelt  beside  the  flat  stone 
while  they  called  upon  Jehovah  to  protect  them 
through  the  day  and  to  give  them  success  in 
whatever  they  might  do. 

A  slave  from  the  doorway  called  them  to 
breakfast  and  poured  water  upon  their  hands  as 
they  squatted  before  the  dish  which  held  their 
food,  for,  as  we  know,  fingers  were  used  instead 
of  knives  and  forks. 

Three  loaves  of  bread  were  placed  before 
each  of  them.  A  healthy,  hungry  girl  and  a 
man  who  spent  his  days  in  fighting  must  have 
enough  to  eat. 

"Three  loaves  of  bread!"  I  hear  you  say, 
"How  could  they  eat  so  much?" 

Their  loaves  you  would  call  biscuits,  so  there 
were  not  any  more  than  everyone  in  those  times 
expected  to  eat  at  a  meal. 

Their  breakfast  over,  they  again  gave  thanks 
to  Jehovah.  The  father  strapped  on  his  sword, 
and  Judith  watched  as  he  bounded  down  the 
mountain  side. 

Jephthah — for  that  was  the  man's  name  — 
and  Judith,  his  daughter,  lived  in  the  times  of 
the  Judges — wild,  rough  times  such  as  the  early 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  129 

settlers  had  when  they  first  came  to  America. 
Just  as  the  Indians  fought  the  settlers,  the 
people  of  Canaan  fought  the  Hebrews  who 
tried  to  settle  among  them  and  make  homes  for 
themselves.  Many  of  the  people  of  Israel  were 
still  wandering  about  and  living  in  tents. 

A  man  might  be  rich  at  night  and  poor  the 
next  morning.  While  he  slept  his  cattle  and 
household  goods  might  be  stolen,  his  fields 
burned,  and  he  with  his  family  rudely  awak- 
ened and  driven  from  the  country. 

This  had  happened  to  Jephthah.  His  own 
brothers  had  turned  him  out  of  their  home  and 
refused  to  share  their  father's  property  with 
him.  But  he  was  "a  man  of  valor,"  used  to 
fighting,  so  he  went  to  the  mountains  of  Gilead 
and  became  chief  of  a  lawless  band  of  men  as 
powerful  as  himself  in  war. 

In  those  days  might  was  right.  The  fighter 
with  the  strongest  muscles  was  the  most  respected 
because  he  was  the  most  feared.  Fear  was  really 
the  god  of  the  people.  And  when  people  are 
badly  frightened  and  always  expecting  to  be 
hurt,  it  is  no  wonder  that  they  act  foolishly  and 
wickedly.  But  these  people  of  long  ago  did  the 


130        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

best  they  knew  how  to  do,  which  is  all  we  can 
expect  of  anyone. 

You  have  been  in  a  crowd  and  had  to  force 
your  way  through  it.  Of  course  you  were  care- 
ful not  to  step  on  anyone's  toes  or  to  hurt  any- 
one. You  think  strangers  have  rights  which  you 
try  to  respect.  But  in  the  times  of  the  Judges 
strangers  did  not  count.  It  was  only  one's 
family  and  relatives  that  were  given  attention 
or  received  courtesy.  The  country  was  small, 
the  people  many,  and  often  they  suffered  for 
want  of  room.  To  make  a  place  for  them- 
selves they  used  the  sword,  and  the  weak  were 
destroyed  in  order  that  the  strong  might  have 
more  space  to  feed  their  cattle,  grow  their  crops, 
and  build  their  cities. 

The  people  who  lived  in  the  mountains  were 
the  most  fearless  because  they  were  the  safest 
from  their  enemies.  Our  little  heroine  Judith 
was  a  maid  of  the  mountains.  She  could 
skip  nimbly  across  rushing  mountain  torrents, 
run  races  with  the  mountain  goats,  and  often 
delighted  to  shout  aloud  so  that  she  might  hear 
her  voice  bound  back  to  her  from  the  rocky 
peaks.  She  knew  every  foot  of  the  hills,  had 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  131 

explored  their  dark  caverns,  and  at  one  time 
had  climbed  down  a  steep  ravine  to  rescue  a 
tiny  lamb  that  had  slipped  into  its  depths.  A 
strong,  healthy,  happy  little  lass  was  she.  With 
a  song  she  welcomed  the  morning  sun,  and  as 
she  held  out  her  arms  to  the  stars  she  sang  them 
a  good-night. 

Some  of  you  young  people  from  the  high 
school  look  as  though  you  would  like  to  ask  me 
a  question. 

"Yes,"  replies  a  boy,  "we  would.  We  want 
to  know  where  in  the  Bible  you  find  all  you  are 
telling  about  Jephthah  and  his  daughter." 

We  do  not  find  it  all  in  Scripture.  About 
these  two  people  who  did  the  best  they  knew 
how  to  do — although  that  "best"  was  wrong— 
there  is  little  told  us  in  this  truly  beautiful 
Bible  story.  But  we  can  find  out  more  about 
them  by  reading  histories  of  those  times  and  of 
the  customs  of  those  people.  With  this  knowl- 
edge and  what  the  Bible  gives  us  we  make  our 
story. 

"I  like  that  way,"  adds  a  girl.  "It  seems 
to  bring  them  closer  to  us  and  makes  real  people 
of  them." 


i32        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

It  was  evening  as  Jephthah  came  wearily 
up  the  mountain  side.  He  stopped  to  stroke 
the  faithful  dog  that  met  him  and  to  count  the 
sheep  over  which  the  dog  kept  watch.  A  flock 
of  doves  scattered  as  he  approached,  and  a  little 
calf  bleated  from  the  doorway  of  the  tent. 
Probably  Judith  had  thought  it  needed  extra 
care  and  had  brought  it  from  the  pasture.  A 
slave  saw  him  coming  and  ran  to  meet  him, 
received  his  sword  and  mantle,  and  made  him 
comfortable  in  the  tent. 

"Where  is  Judith?"  asked  her  father  of  the 
slave. 

He  was  answered  by  a  peal  of  laughter  from 
the  child,  as,  hidden  behind  a  curtain,  she 
watched  while  her  father  searched  for  her.  Soon 
she  was  found  and  they  sat  down  to  their  even- 
ing meal.  When  it  was  over  they  sat  in  the 
door  of  the  tent,  and  the  stern,  fierce  warrior 
listened  with  joy  to  the  voice  of  his  child  as  she 
told  him  of  her  day's  work  and  play. 

"It  is  good  to  live,  father,"  she  said,  "and  I 
love  to  live." 

Words  well  spoken,  little  maid.  To-night 
they  make  your  father  glad;  but  to-morrow  is 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  133 

coming,  and  with  it  those  words  will  fall  upon 
his  heart  like  stones. 

Some  elderly  men  with  distressed  faces  came 
toward  their  tent,  but  were  relieved  as  Jephthah 
arose  and  greeted  them. 

"Why  do  you  seek  me?"  Jephthah  asked 
them.  "It  is  but  a  little  while  since  you  with 
my  brothers  drove  me  from  my  father's  house 
and  country." 

1 '  The  Ammonites  are  troubling  us ;  they  are 
burning  our  villages  and  carrying  away  our 
children  and  our  cattle.  Each  day  is  worse 
than  the  one  before  and  we  have  no  power  to 
resist  these  enemies,"  the  men  replied. 

"Why  have  you  no  power?  Is  strength 
departed  from  Israel  that  you  come  to  me  now 
that  you  are  in  distress?" 

Bowing  to  the  ground  before  them  as  he 
spoke  these  words,  Jephthah  motioned  to  them 
to  enter  the  tent  and  be  seated.  As  he  offered 
them  food  and  drink  his  visitors  became  encour- 
aged, for  this  act  meant  that  he  was  friendly  to 
them  and  to  their  cause. 

The  eldest  man  among  them  strode  to  the 
tent  door.  His  white  hair  falling  over  his 


i34        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

shoulders  and  white  beard  touching  the  girdle  at 
his  waist  gave  him  an  appearance  of  great  age. 
Lifting  the  curtain  of  the  door  he  raised  his  arm 
and,  pointing  to  the  stars,  replied  to  Jephthah, 
"As  is  the  number  of  the  stars,  so  is  the  number 
of  the  children  of  Israel,  but  there  are  none 
among  them  as  mighty  as  yourself.  They  need 
your  help." 

The  others  joined  their  voices  with  his  and 
urged  upon  Jephthah  their  need  of  him  as  a 
leader,  and  their  need,  too,  of  his  dreaded  war- 
riors, saying,  ' '  Therefore  are  we  turned  again  to 
thee  now,  that  thou  mayest  go  with  us,  and  fight 
with  the  children  of  Ammon,  and  thou  shalt  be 
our  head  over  all  the  inhabitants  of  Gilead." 

"If  this  be  so,"  answered  Jephthah,  "I  will 
go  with  you." 

The  men  arose  and  swore  in  the  name  of 
Jehovah  that  they  would  keep  their  word.  The 
old  man  stood  in  their  midst  and  raised  his  hands 
in  blessing,  his  long,  flowing  robes  fluttering  in 
the  rising  wind  which  swept  in  through  the  open 
door  of  the  tent. 

Jephthah  drew  his  robes  close  about  him, 
fastening  them  in  tight  with  his  girdle.  The 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  135 

loose  upper  garment  must  be  laid  aside.  It 
would  hinder  his  speed  when  he  was  walking  or 
riding.  He  reached  for  his  sword — dropped 
it — and  over  his  face  there  flashed  a  momentary 
fear. 

What  was  it  that  moaned  outside  the  tent? 

He  listened,  then  laughed  as  the  wild  wind 
shrieked  by  his  tent  door  and  sobbed  itself  out 
on  the  distant  mountain  peaks. 

At  his  feet  something  glistened.  He  stooped 
and  picked  it  up,  but  let  it  fall — it  was  red,  the 
color  of  blood.  His  superstitious  fancy  won- 
dered if  it  could  be  an  omen  of  evil.  Was  his 
errand  to  be  one  of  harm  to  himself?  But  no, 
it  was  only  Judith's  spangled  red  turban  which 
the  wind  had  torn  from  its  peg  and  thrown  at 
his  feet. 

Judith!  He  had  forgotten  her,  for  the 
urgency  of  his  errand  and  the  terrible  need  of 
his  visitors  had  crowded  all  else  out  of 
his  mind. 

He  must  leave  her,  but  she  was  safe  with  her 
maidens,  and  the  slaves  were  faithful.  Surely 
no  danger  could  come  to  her,  secure  in  the  moun- 
tain stronghold.  She  would  not  need  the 
10 


136        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

protection  of  his  band  of  warriors  who  were 
to  go  with  him. 

He  stepped  to  a  little  tent  near  his  own, 
lifted  the  curtain  which  screened  the  door,  and 
looked  lovingly  upon  his  sleeping  child.  He 
did  not  waken  her  with  a  good-by.  She  was  a 
brave  little  lass,  but  the  errand  upon  which  he 
was  going  was  a  dangerous  one  and  he  might 
never  return  to  her.  The  daughter  of  Jephthah, 
"the  mighty  man  of  valor,"  he  knew  would 
meet  her  father's  loss  with  a  spirit  as  strong  as 
his  own,  and  there  was  no  need  to  trouble 
her  now. 

He  stroked  with  tenderness  the  locks  of 
sunny  hair.  There  was  a  ruddy  gleam  in  them 
like  the  waving  of  flames.  He  listened  as  her 
lips  moved.  What  was  she  saying  as  she  slept? 
It  was  not  clear,  but  he  remembered  the  words 
she  had  spoken  just  before  their  guests  had 
arrived,  and  he  felt  them  echo  in  his  heart:  "I 
love  to  live,  father.  It  is  good  to  live." 

Then  out  into  the  night  he  and  his  visitors 
went,  stopping  only  to  summon  all  his  fighting 
men.  In  the  morning  he  would  send  messengers 
to  the  king  of  the  Ammonites  and  demand  of 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  137 

him  why  he  and  his  people  should  war  upon 
Israel. 

When  the  sun  rose  again  it  looked  down 
upon  two  armies.  One  was  the  host  of  Israel, 
the  other  that  of  the  children  of  Ammon.  Out 
from  the  camp  of  Israel  rode  Jephthah's  courier 
with  a  message  to  the  king  of  Ammon. 

"  Why  do  you  trouble  Israel?"  was  its  refrain. 

"Because,"  replied  the  king,  "your  people 
have  stolen  the  land  of  the  Ammonites  and  will 
not  return  it  to  us." 

"Not  so,"  answered  Jephthah.  "We  did 
not  steal;  we  won  it  in  a  fair  battle.  If  our 
God  Jehovah  gives  us  strength  to  win,  and  your 
god  Chemosh  cannot  protect  you,  it  is  not  our 
sin  but  our  greater  strength  which  has  given  us 
the  land." 

"But  God  is  not  in  battles,"  I  hear  some  of 
you  children  say.  "He  is  the  Prince  of  Peace." 

In  the  days  of  our  story,  peace  as  we  under- 
stand it  was  not  known.  To  people  of  those 
times  God  was  power,  a  being  like  themselves, 
who  led  in  war  and  gloried  in  victory  over  His 
weaker  enemies.  They  had  forgotten  Moses 
and  his  merciful  laws,  Abraham  and  his  faith 


138        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

in  God's  goodness,  Isaac  and  Jacob  with  their 
belief  in  God  as  the  source  only  of  blessing.  If 
they  remembered  those  days  at  all,  it  was  only 
as  so  many  stories  which  their  parents  had  told 
them  and  which  few  of  them  believed. 

They  had  not  obeyed  Joshua's  command  to 
drive  out  all  the  inhabitants  of  Canaan,  the 
promised  land.  It  was  too  hard  work,  and  so 
they  had  done  the  easier  way — settled  among 
the  other  nations,  adopted  their  idolatrous  cus- 
toms, and  worshiped  the  horrible  gods,  Molech, 
Baal,  and  Chemosh. 

Even  our  poor  Jephthah  had  lived  so  long 
among  the  Ammonites  that  he  had  forgotten 
about  Israel's  God  of  mercy.  Jehovah  was  to 
him  the  same  as  the  other  gods,  the  only  differ- 
ence being  that  He,  Jehovah,  favored  Israel. 
Once  the  Hebrew  people  had  known  better,  but 
this  is  not  a  story  of  those  times,  nor  of  the 
"beginning  time."  It  is  a  story  of  the  time  of 
the  Judges. 

In  our  day  when  we  move  into  a  new  house 
or  city,  we  think  we  should  be  settled  and  feel  at 
home  in  our  new  quarters  in  a  fortnight.  But 
when  Israel  moved  from  Egypt  to  Canaan,  it 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  139 

took  forty  years  to  get  there  and  about  three 
hundred  years  to  get  thoroughly  settled  and  be 
at  home.  It  was  this  "settling"  season  that 
was  the  time  of  the  Judges. 

"We  will  war  against  you  and  regain  our 
land,"  was  the  message  sent  back  to  Jephthah 
from  the  king  of  Ammon. 

Like  two  boys  quarreling  and  each  telling 
the  other  how  badly  the  other  had  acted,  the 
king  and  Jephthah  grew  angrier  as  their  messages 
flew  back  and  forth.  Jephthah  lost  both  his 
patience  and  his  good  sense.  For  the  moment 
he  forgot  everything  but  the  desire  to  conquer 
the  enemy  who  dared  defy  him.  From  his  lips 
there  issued  a  vow  such  as  the  heathen  made, 
but  which  no  Israelite  faithful  to  the  law  of 
Moses  would  utter.  He  thought  that  he  had 
called  upon  Jehovah — but  had  he?  Did  not 
the  God  of  Israel  say,  "I  desire  mercy,  and  not 
sacrifice?" 

What  was  that  vow?  "If  thou  wilt  indeed 
deliver  the  children  of  Ammon  into  my  hand, 
then  it  shall  be,  that  whatsoever  cometh  forth 
from  the  doors  of  my  house  to  meet  me,  when  I 
return  in  peace  from  the  children  of  Ammon,  it 


i4o         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

shall  be  Jehovah's,  and  I  will  offer  it  up  for  a 
burnt-offering." 

Beware,  Jephthah !  Your  vow  cannot  stand 
before  Jehovah.  He  who  "desireth  not  the 
death  of  a  sinner"  and  whose  hand  is  always 
stretched  out  to  save,  has  not  heard.  Although 
you  have  used  His  name,  it  is  not  Jehovah,  but 
the  black-starred  god  of  ill-omen,  Chemosh; 
or  Molech,  the  remorseless  fire  god  always  hun- 
gry for  human  sacrifice,  on  whom  you  have 
called. 

"Why  did  he  make  such  a  vow?  Did  n't  he 
know  any  better?"  you  are  asking. 

No,  he  was  half  heathen.  He  had  lived 
many  years  among  the  Ammonites,  ever  since 
his  brother  and  his  people  had  driven  him  from 
home.  The  half -savage  heathen  and  rough  com- 
panions had  been  his  only  friends.  Even  the 
Israelites  were  serving  the  gods  of  the  heathen, 
who  worshiped  idols.  Constant  fear  and  fight- 
ing had  made  them  all  think  of  Jehovah  as 
a  god  of  war  with  little  or  no  mercy.  Their 
lips  said  Jehovah,  but  their  hearts  gave  him  the 
character  of  the  heathen  gods.  So  can  you 
wonder  that  Jephthah  often  confused  the 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  141 

worship  of  Jehovah  with  that  of  the  fire  god  of 
the  Ammonites? 

He  may  have  thought  that  the  promise  he 
made  was  a  safe  one.  He  had  plenty  of  cattle, 
sheep,  doves,  and  slaves.  "The  doors  of  his 
house"  meant  anything  possessed  by  him  or 
found  on  his  land.  To  choose  from  these  for  a 
sacrifice  would  be  a  simple  matter. 

Hebrew  law  forbade  human  sacrifice,  and 
anyone  making  his  child  "pass  through  the 
fire"  was  to  be  stoned  to  death.  But  those 
laws  had  been  hidden  away  for  so  many  years 
that  they  probably  had  been  forgotten. 
"Strange!"  you  say.  Why  so?  We  know  that 
even  in  our  day  good  laws  sometimes  are 
forgotten. 

A  slave  or  some  animal  would  meet  him. 
What  cared  he  for  a  slave's  life  or  that  of  a  cap- 
tive taken  in  battle?  He  was  as  familiar  with 
the  altars  of  Chemosh  and  their  burning  victims 
as  you  are  with  your  church  spires  that  point 
upward. 

His  vow  was  wrong,  but  it  was  earnest  and 
sincere.  He  meant  no  harm  but,  like  the  sword 
which  turned  every  way  guarding  the  gates  of 


i42         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Eden,  it  turned  against  himself — a  way  wrong 
things  have  of  doing. 

"Be  not  rash  with  thy  mouth,  and  let  not 
thy  heart  be  hasty  to  utter  any  thing  before 
God  ....  Suffer  not  thy  mouth  to  cause 
thy  flesh  to  sin."  Had  Jephthah  thought,  he 
might  have  said  these  words  which  were  later 
spoken  by  a  Hebrew  preacher,  for  they  were 
just  as  true  in  Jephthah 's  day  as  they  were  in 
the  time  of  the  Hebrew  preacher.  What  was 
the  matter  with  his  memory  when  he  counted 
his  possessions,  that  he  should  have  forgotten 
the  gem  of  them  all,  his  daughter? 

Moses  and  Joshua  had  warned  Israel  that 
the  promised  land  was  given  them  in  order  that 
they  might  serve  Jehovah  there.  If  they  dis- 
obeyed his  laws  they  were  to  lose  all  they  had. 
They  had  not  obeyed,  but  instead  had  served 
idols.  So  Jephthah,  following  their  example, 
taking  heathen  oaths  in  Jehovah's  name,  lost 
his  all. 

He  was  victorious ;  he  fought  with  and  routed 
the  Ammonites  with  unpitying  slaughter,  and 
returned  to  Gilead  the  hero  of  his  people.  He 
did  not  stay  to  hear  their  praises.  His  heart 


JUDITH,  THE  DAUGHTER  OF  JEPHTHAH 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  143 

was  in  the  mountains.  A  little  dark-eyed  laugh- 
ing girl  was  waiting  for  him,  eager  to  hear  of  her 
father's  triumph.  It  was  nightfall  when  he  and 
his  men  reached  the  foot  of  the  hills.  Long 
shadows  were  filling  the  valley  and  hiding  the 
paths,  so  they  rested  there  until  morning  came. 

Jephthah  looked  toward  the  darkening 
heights  and  smiled  as  he  stretched  his  arms  out 
toward  them.  Home  is  there  and  it  is  there  I 
have  peace,  thought  the  warrior.  Why  does  he 
shudder?  The  night  air  is  not  chill.  Has  sleep 
departed  from  you,  "man  of  valor,"  that  you 
must  pace  back  and  forth  in  the  silent  night? 
That  sound  is  nothing.  You  have  heard  it 
often.  It  is  but  the  sob  of  a  dying  sheep 
which  a  wolf  has  caught 

Peace  will  come  with  the  morning,  thought 
Jephthah.  But  alas,  no!  The  shadow  of  that 
vow,  blacker  a  hundred  times  than  the  inky 
cloud  which  floats  across  the  moon,  is  folding 
its  somber  wings  to  rest  upon  his  household. 
Peace  has  departed  from  him.  It  was  in  the 
powers  of  darkness  that  he  trusted.  He  who 
has  vowed  to  sacrifice  another  must  lay  his  own 
heart  upon  the  altar. 


144         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Morning  came.  Thousands  of  dew  dia- 
monds trembled  on  the  meadow  grasses.  The 
sleepy  birds  had  barely  opened  their  eyes  when 
Jephthah  and  his  men  begin  their  upward 
journey.  Why  do  you  hesitate,  mighty  warrior? 
The  path  is  not  rough;  neither  is  it  strange. 
Can  a  warrior  like  yourself  be  wearied  with  a 
little  climb  like  this?  Besides,  home  and  your 
daughter  are  beyond. 

Judith,  too,  was  an  early  riser.  Early  in  the 
morning  father  will  be  here,  sang  the  maiden  to 
herself.  She  will  surprise  him.  Though  every- 
thing and  everybody  be  asleep,  she  will  show  her 
pride  in  her  father's  victory  by  being  the  first 
one  to  meet  him  in  the  early  dawn. 

Some  of  the  stars  were  still  in  the  heavens 
when  she  stole  out  of  the  tent  and  down  the 
mountain  side.  Peering  over  the  cliffs  she  saw 
him  coming,  and  with  dancing  feet,  shaking  her 
timbrel  and  singing,  she  went  to  meet  him. 

He  heard  her  voice,  but  no  arms  of  welcome 
were  outstretched  to  meet  her.  In  agony  the 
words  of  his  horrible  vow  swept  through  his 
mind,  and  as  he  rent  his  garments,  his  voice, 
hoarse  with  grief,  replied  to  her  joyous  greeting, 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  145 

"Alas,  my  daughter!  thou  hast  brought  me 
very  low,  and  thou  art  one  of  them  that  trouble 
me ;  for  I  have  opened  my  mouth  unto  Jehovah, 
and  I  cannot  go  back." 

Did  the  little  maid  flinch?  No,  the  spirit 
of  Jephthah's  daughter  rose  to  meet  his  own, 
and  the  "mighty  man  of  valor"  looked  into  the 
steady  eyes  of  a  fearless  maid.  Whatever  her 
father  had  promised  to  do  should  be  done. 

"But,"  you  are  saying,  "he  had  no  right  to 
sacrifice  his  daughter.  Besides,  he  must  have 
her  consent,  for  she  was  over  twelve  years  old, 
when  a  Hebrew  girl  was  of  age." 

But  to  these  two  an  oath  was  not  lightly 
taken,  nor  could  it  be  honorably  broken.  And, 
too,  the  merciful  laws  of  Moses  had  been  for- 
gotten, and  the  heathen  gods  of  vengeance  had 
been  so  long  feared  and  worshiped  that  into 
their  minds  came  nothing  but  the  unpitying 
demands  of  that  unrighteous  vow. 

With  choking  sobs  Jephthah  told  his  daugh- 
ter of  his  vow.  She  need  not  keep  it.  Israel's 
law  protected  her.  For  his  country  her  father 
had  risked  his  life.  Should  the  daughter  of  a 
hero  do  less  than  to  give  her  own?  So  thinking, 


i46        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Judith  answered  her  father,  "My  father,  thou 
hast  opened  thy  mouth  unto  Jehovah;  do  unto 
me  according  to  that  which  hath  proceeded  out 
of  thy  mouth,  forasmuch  as  Jehovah  hast  taken 
vengeance  for  thee  on  thine  enemies,  even  on 
the  children  of  Arnmon." 

For  her  country  and  her  father  she  would 
do  this  thing,  even  as  the  brave  Joan  of  Arc  cen- 
turies later  died  for  her  country.  The  little 
shepherd  maid  of  France  had  a  forerunner  in  the 
maid  of  Gilead  —  the  one  chained  to  the  stake 
to  perish  in  the  flames,  the  other  laid  upon  the 
altar  of  fire.  Both  died  because  they  believed 
that  in  making  such  a  sacrifice  they  served  their 
country  and  their  God.  You  young  people  inter- 
ested in  history  and  who  have  shed  tears  over 
Joan  of  Arc's  cruel  fate,  did  not  know  that  in 
the  pages  of  the  Bible  there  was  a  heroine  as 
brave  as  she. 

Judith  made  but  one  request.  The  child 
who  loved  to  live  wanted  to  spend  two  months 
with  her  companions  on  the  mountain  side. 
Together  they  would  lament  this  awful  sacrifice, 
this  useless  destruction  of  a  life  that  had  filled 
its  own  and  that  of  others  with  sunshine.  And 


THE  LITTLE  MAID  OF  GILEAD  147 

the  pity  of  it  was  they  did  not  know  it  need  not 
be.  The  time  had  not  yet  come  when  "the 
earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah, 
as  the  waters  cover  the  sea." 

When  the  two  months  were  over,  the  child 
returned  to  her  father's  tent  .... 

Against  a  gray  sky  from  a  mountain  peak 
there  rose  tongues  of  flame.  The  gray  of  the 
clouds  changed  to  crimson.  Did  they  blush 
with  shame  at  the  awful  deed  they  witnessed 
as  Jephthah's  vow  was  kept?  Or  did  they 
promise  pardon  for  this  act  of  ignorance? 

The  night  was  black.  There  was  nothing 
on  the  hilltop  but  smoldering  ashes  which  the 
swiftly  coming  storm  would  soon  scatter.  A 
man  in  sackcloth  with  ashes  on  his  head  mourned 
as  he  sat  alone.  The  wind  tore  at  his  tent  door 
and  hurled  something  at  his  feet;  it  was  only  a 
jeweled  red  turban,  but  the  man's  fingers  closed 
upon  it  with  a  groan. 

"It  is  good  to  live,"  the  little  maid  had  said. 
And  she  did  live  in  the  hearts  of  Israel.  "And 
it  was  a  custom  in  Israel,  that  the  daughters  of 
Israel  went  yearly  to  celebrate  the  daughter  of 
Jephthah  the  Gileadite  four  days  in  a  year." 


WHAT  A    LITTLE    BOY    TAUGHT 
A  BIG  MAN 

SAMUEL  AND  ELI 

He  was  such  a  pretty  little  fellow  with 
dancing  black  eyes  and  curly  head,  and  he  was 
going  on  a  journey  with  his  parents,  Elkanah 
and  Hannah.  It  was  his  first  journey,  and  he 
could  hardly  wait  for  them  to  start.  A  few 
hours  is  a  long  time  to  a  boy  only  three  years 
old.  His  mother,  Hannah,  stopped  suddenly  in 
her  packing  and,  running  out  to  him,  hugged 
and  kissed  him  until  he  struggled  to  be  free. 
Then  Elkanah,  his  father,  took  him  in  his  arms 
and  acted  as  if  he  never  wanted  to  put  him 
down  again. 

The  servants  were  busy  yoking  the  oxen 
and  saddling  the  donkeys.  There  was  no 
express  in  those  days.  When  people  traveled, 
donkeys  or  camels  had  to  carry  great  bags  filled 
with  whatever  they  needed.  The  family  rode 
in  the  ox-cart  or  walked.  I  think  sometimes 
they  walked  in  order  to  rest,  for  the  carts  had 
no  springs  and  must  have  jounced  and  jolted 

148 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN  149 

them  terribly.  But  as  they  knew  no  better 
way  of  traveling,  they  were  content  and  proba- 
bly thought  they  were  very  fortunate  to  have 
such  a  fine  ox-cart  to  ride  in. 

Our  little  black-eyed  boy  danced  about, 
clapping  his  hands  and  shouting  to  the  oxen  or 
stopping  a  moment  to  pat  the  sleek  sides  of  the 
gentle  donkeys.  His  mother  was  hugging  a 
little  frock  she  had  made  him,  and  her  lips  moved 
as  she  carefully  folded  it  away  in  the  big  bundle 
which  served  these  people  as  a  trunk.  And  his 
father  said,  "Jehovah  bless  him!"  as  the  bun- 
dle was  tied  together  and  hoisted  on  a  donkey's 
back.  Our  little  lad  was  going  with  his  parents, 
but  he  would  not  come  back  with  them.  He 
was  to  stay  in  the  temple  with  the  priests  and 
wear  the  tiny  dress  his  mother  had  packed  so 
carefully. 

These  people  were  Israelites,  and  they  lived 
so  long  ago  that  if  it  were  not  for  our  Bible,  and 
the  stones  or  bricks  that  people  have  found 
buried  in  the  ground  and  covered  with  curious 
writing,  we  should  never  have  known  anything 
about  them.  They  lived  in  Ramah,  among  the 
hills  of  Ephraim,  and  they  were  going  to  Shiloh, 


iso        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

where  the  temple  of  God  was,  to  offer  the  yearly 
sacrifice.  The  baby  was  not  to  be  left  behind 
because  his  parents  were  too  poor  to  care  for 
him,  for  they  had  many  cattle,  and  sheep,  and 
everything  which  in  that  time  made  people  rich. 
They  were  going  to  leave  him  because  his  mother 
had  promised  Jehovah  before  he  was  born  that 
she  would  give  the  child  to  the  Lord  and  that 
he  should  serve  in  the  temple  of  Jehovah  all  the 
days  of  his  life. 

"Why  did  she  do  that?"  you  ask.  " Didn't 
she  love  children?" 

Yes,  she  loved  children  very  much,  but  she 
had  never  had  any  of  her  own.  Elkanah's 
other  wife — for  in  those  days  a  man  had  more 
than  one  wife — had  several  children.  This  dis- 
turbed Hannah  and  made  her  very  unhappy 
when  they  all,  big  people  and  little  people,  went 
once  a  year  to  Shiloh  to  worship  and  to  sacri- 
fice in  the  temple.  Her  husband  loved  her  more 
than  he  loved  his  other  wife,  Peninnah,  but  this 
did  not  satisfy  Hannah,  for  what  she  wanted 
more  than  anything  else  she  did  not  have.  We 
all  know  how  it  feels,  don't  we,  to  want  some- 
thing very,  very  much  and  not  get  it?  We  even 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN  151 

forget  at  these  times  the  good  things  we  already 
have. 

At  one  time  when  she  was  in  Shiloh  she  had 
grieved  so  much  that  she  could  not  eat,  and 
Elkanah  tried  to  comfort  her  by  saying,  "Am 
not  I  better  to  thee  than  ten  sons?"  But 
Hannah  would  not  be  comforted.  She  deter- 
mined to  go  to  the  temple  alone  while  Peninnah 
and  her  children  were  enjoying  the  gifts  which 
Elkanah  always  gave  them  at  the  time  of  the 
yearly  sacrifices.  Hannah  had  her  share  of  gifts 
also,  but  when  one's  heart  is  as  sad  as  hers 
presents  don't  make  one  happy. 

Hannah  had  learned  that  God  was  the  real 
helper  of  His  people  and  that  He  was  always 
ready  to  give  good  things  to  them  that  asked 
Him.  She  remembered  the  stories  her  mother 
had  told  her  of  Jehovah's  feeding  and  caring 
for  her  people  during  their  forty  years  in  the 
wilderness  and  how  many  times  He  had  deliv- 
ered them  from  their  enemies.  She  was  in 
trouble.  Jehovah  had  promised  to  help.  She 
had  been  taught  that  she  should  always  keep 
her  promises,  and  why  shouldn't  she  expect  God 
to  keep  His? 

11 


152        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

She  would  try,  anyway.  One  other  thing 
she  intended  to  do:  she  would  not  be  selfish  in 
her  prayer,  but  was  willing  to  give  all  she  had, 
if  it  was  necessary,  to  win  from  God  the  blessing 
she  craved.  As  she  stood  praying  at  the  tem- 
ple door  she  did  not  see  Eli,  the  high  priest, 
watching  her  and  wondering  why  her  lips  moved 
when  she  did  not  speak.  But  when  he  said  to 
her,  "How  long  wilt  thou  be  drunken?  put  away 
thy  wine  from  thee,"  Hannah  answered: 

"I  am  a  woman  of  a  sorrowful  spirit:  I  have 
drunk  neither  wine  nor  strong  drink,  but  I  have 
poured  out  my  soul  before  Jehovah." 

Would  you  like  to  know  what  it  was  that 
Hannah  prayed  with  her  heart  when  her  lips 
were  silent?  She  did  not  waste  any  words  but 
asked  at  once  for  what  she  wanted.  If  Jehovah 
knew  her  need  and  would  give  to  her  the  gift 
that  she  asked,  why  trouble  Him  with  words? 

Hannah's  prayer  and  vow  were,  "O  Jehovah 
of  hosts,  if  thou  wilt  indeed  look  on  the  affliction 
of  thy  handmaid,  and  remember  me,  and  not 
forget  thy  handmaid,  but  wilt  give  unto  thy 
handmaid  a  man-child,  then  I  will  give  him  unto 
Jehovah  all  the  days  of  his  life." 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN   153 

She  would  not  ask  to  keep  him  with  her  as 
other  mothers  did.  She  would  be  glad  to  give 
back  to  the  Lord  the  child  that  He  gave  to 
her,  and  all  his  life  he  should  serve  in  God's 
temple. 

When  she  left  the  temple  after  her  prayer, 
Eli  gave  her  his  blessing,  saying,  "Go  in  peace; 
and  the  God  of  Israel  grant  thy  petition  that 
thou  hast  asked  of  Him."  Hannah  had  come  in 
sorrowful  and  she  went  out  glad.  Her  prayer, 
she  knew,  had  been  heard  and  Jehovah  would 
answer.  She  "went  her  way,  and  did  eat;  and 
her  countenance  was  no  more  sad."  In  other 
words,  her  face  was  changed. 

Do  you  remember  the  different  persons  in 
the  Bible  whose  faces  changed?  Moses,  when 
he  came  down  from  the  mount  with  the  law, 
put  a  veil  over  his  face  because  it  shone  so.  The 
face  of  Jesus  was  changed  on  the  mount  of  Trans- 
figuration. And  Stephen  the  martyr  had  such 
a  radiant  expression  when  he  was  being  stoned 
that  even  his  enemies  said  he  had  the  face  of  an 
angel. 

What  made  them  shine?  The  next  time 
you  see  anyone  whose  face  looks  as  though  it 


iS4        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

had  a  light  behind  it,  ask  him,  for  such  a  person 
is  the  only  one  who  will  be  able  to  tell  you. 

Another  year  passed,  and  again  all  the  family 
went  to  Shiloh  except  Hannah.  The  answer  to 
her  prayer — her  little  son  Samuel — had  come, 
and  he  was  too  small  a  baby  to  take  on  so  long 
a  journey.  She  would  not  go  up  to  Shiloh  again 
until  he  was  weaned;  that  is,  until  he  was  about 
three  years  old. 

Now  you  know  that  the  little  black-eyed 
fellow  in  such  a  hurry  to  start  on  his  first  jour- 
ney was  Samuel  and  that  the  time  had  come  for 
his  mother  to  fulfill  her  vow.  All  the  family 
went  up  together  to  Shiloh,  the  one  wife  with 
her  many  children,  who  would  all  return  with 
her,  and  Hannah  with  her  only  child,  who  would 
be  left  behind. 

Hannah's  face,  I  am  sure,  was  still  shining. 
God  kept  His  promises;  why  should  she  be  sad? 
Also  on  her  journey  to  the  temple  she  must  have 
been  thinking  of  the  great  man  she  wanted  her 
son  to  be.  And  had  she  not  made  him  a  tiny 
dress  that  was  now  carefully  folded  away  in 
that  big  bundle,  a  dress  exactly  like  the  robe  of 
the  high  priest,  which  none  but  he  ever  wore? 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN   155 

And  every  year  when  she  should  visit  him  she 
would  bring  him  another  just  like  the  first,  but 
larger. 

Three  years  and  more  had  passed  since 
Hannah  had  stood  praying  at  the  temple  door. 
Eli  might  not  remember  her,  so  she  said  to  him, 
"My  lord,  I  am  the  woman  that  stood  by  thee 
here,  praying  unto  Jehovah.  For  this  child  I 
prayed;  and  Jehovah  hath  given  me  my  peti- 
tion which  I  asked  of  Him;  therefore  also  I 
have  granted  him  to  Jehovah." 

Then  the  tiny  lad  said  his  prayer,  or,  as  the 
Bible  says,  "worshipped  Jehovah  there."  His 
mother  had  taught  him  to  pray  and  told  him 
that  prayers  were  answered,  therefore  he  must 
be  careful  for  what  he  prayed.  She  remembered 
how  her  people,  the  Israelites,  had  asked  a  favor 
of  God,  something  they  were  better  off  without, 
and  "  He  gave  them  their  request,  but  sent  lean- 
ness into  their  soul." 

Hannah  had  more  faith  in  good  than  she  had 
fear  of  evil,  for  the  three  priests  with  whom  she 
left  the  child  were  bad  men.  Eli  was  so  weak 
that  his  two  wicked  sons  did  just  as  they  pleased. 
He  meant  well  and  preferred  to  live  right,  but 


i56        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

when  he  allowed  himself  to  be  ruled  by  his  sons, 
things  went  just  as  wrong  as  though  he  was 
wicked  himself.  He  found  out  later  that  it  is 
not  good  intentions  but  good  acts  that  please 
God,  and  also  please  people.  He  often  told  his 
sons  that  they  were  wicked  and  should  do  better, 
but  as  he  never  did  anything  but  find  fault  with 
them  they  only  laughed  and  kept  growing  worse. 

He  was  like  a  boy  who  was  asked  to  help 
some  of  the  younger  children  with  their  lessons. 
When  a  child  misspelled  a  word  or  put  down  a 
wrong  figure,  he  would  say,  "That  is  wrong. 
You  should  not  do  that,"  but  let  the  mistake  go 
without  correcting  it. 

These  conditions  did  not  disturb  Hannah. 
If  God  had  given  her  the  child,  God  was  cer- 
tainly able  to  care  for  him.  And  she,  like 
David,  had  faith  in  an  invisible  Power,  and  knew 
that  three  priests  disobeying  God's  laws  were 
not  as  powerful  as  one  person  obeying  those 
laws,  even  if  that  one  were  only  a  little  child. 
Samuel  had  been  taught  to  obey  and  always 
obeyed,  as  we  know  from  the  words  he  spoke 
years  afterward  to  the  rebellious  King  Saul: 
"Behold,  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN  157 

hearken  than  the  fat  of  rams."  You  have  heard 
many  times  that  "he  who  would  command  must 
first  learn  to  obey."  So  Hannah,  desiring  her 
son  to  be  a  great  man  with  power,  began  in  the 
right  way  to  have  it  so. 

Our  little  boy  was  given  a  cot  in  the  temple 
near  where  Eli  slept.  At  first  he  was  too  small 
to  be  very  useful,  but  as  he  grew  older  he  opened 
the  doors  of  the  temple  at  sunrise  and  closed 
them  again  as  the  sun  set.  Also  at  night  he 
kept  bright  the  lights  that  burned  in  the  great 
seven-branched  candlestick  that  was  almost  as 
tall  as  his  father,  and  was  careful  that  the  center 
light  burned  until  morning.  Eli  loved  the  little 
fellow  for  he  gave  him  an  ephod  to  wear.  An 
ephod  was  worn  only  by  the  high  priest.  If  you 
take  a  long  linen  towel  and  fold  it  in  the  middle, 
then  cut  it  in  two  along  this  fold,  fasten  it 
together  on  the  shoulders  with  jeweled  clasps, 
letting  one  piece  cover  the  back,  the  other  hang 
down  in  front,  you  will  have  something  like  an 
ephod.  For  the  high  priest  these  ephods  were 
of  finer  linen  than  the  ephods  that  other  people 
sometimes  were  allowed  to  wear.  Its  colors 
were  gold,  blue,  purple,  and  scarlet,  with  a 


158        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

girdle  of  the  same  material  embroidered  in  the 
same  pattern.  Two  onyx  stones  were  engraved 
with  the  names  of  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel, 
six  names  for  each  shoulder. 

Whenever  the  high  priest  stood  before 
Jehovah  he  carried  all  Israel  on  his  shoulders. 
His  prayers  must  not  be  selfish ;  he  must  remem- 
ber his  people  when  he  prayed.  Praying,  you 
see,  was  made  a  responsibility.  The  little  boy 
who  had  been  taught  to  listen,  and  to  obey  when 
he  heard,  must  have  known  all  about  these 
shoulder  stones  which  fastened  his  ephod,  and 
have  realized  that  in  order  to  please  Jehovah 
he  must  ask  blessings  for  others  as  well  as 
for  himself.  That  he  did  so  we  know,  for  the 
Bible  says  of  him,  "And  the  child  Samuel  grew 
on,  and  increased  in  favor  both  with  Jehovah, 
and  also  with  men." 

Samuel  was  about  twelve  years  old  when  a 
prophet  came  to  the  temple  and  warned  Eli 
that,  because  of  his  weakness  and  his  sons' 
wickedness,  Jehovah  would  take  the  priesthood 
from  them  and  give  it  to  some  one  who  was 
worthy.  Eli  was  disturbed  only  a  little.  Mem- 
bers of  his  family  had  held  the  priesthood  for 


SAMUEL  GIVEN  TO  GOD 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN   159 

so  long  that  he  thought  they  would  always  have 
it,  but  he  had  to  learn  that  the  only  way  to  keep 
anything  is  to  deserve  it.  Poor,  kind-hearted 
Eli,  wanting  to  do  right  but  without  the  strength 
to  do  it,  got  himself,  his  sons,  and  his  people  into 
much  trouble.  The  people  had  noticed  the  dif- 
ference between  the  high  priest's  family  and  the 
boy  Samuel.  What  power  was  it,  they  thought, 
that  kept  this  child  from  evil  ways?  Could  it 
be  that  Jehovah  was  with  him?  They  began  to 
believe  so.  Though  only  twelve  years  old,  the 
boy  was  able  to  show  them  all  what  real  faith  in 
Jehovah  did  for  one. 

Our  little  lad,  without  knowing  it,  had  taught 
the  people  a  lesson,  and  soon  he  was  to  teach  one 
to  Eli.  If  the  priests  had  forgotten  Jehovah,  is 
it  a  wonder  that  most  of  the  people  had?  "The 
word  of  Jehovah  was  precious  (not  often  heard) 
in  those  days ;  there  was  no  frequent,  well-known 
vision." 

At  last  the  night  came  when  the  boy  Samuel 
heard  and  obeyed  the  voice  of  God.  He  had 
closed  the  temple  doors  that  evening  and  had 
seen  that  the  seven  lights  of  the  golden  candle- 
stick were  burning.  Like  the  boys  of  his  day, 


160        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

he  loved  the  stars.  The  traveler  at  night  had 
no  other  guide,  and  Samuel  loved  to  watch  the 
stars  and  wonder  if  they  were  eyes  through  which 
Jehovah  looked  in  the  darkness  to  see  that  no 
harm  came  to  the  earth  while  the  sun  was  gone. 
He  knew  that  the  color  of  the  ephod  he  wore  was 
like  that  of  the  sky  which  held  the  stars,  and 
that  the  twinkling  stars  themselves  shone  as 
brightly  as  the  ephod's  gold.  Perhaps  he  felt 
what  David  said  later:  "The  heavens  declare 
the  glory  of  God."  Having  such  thoughts  as 
these,  do  you  wonder  that  he  heard  God's  voice? 
Such  thinking  is  really  listening  to  God,  but  he 
did  not  know  it. 

Are  you  surprised  that  God  did  not  speak  to 
Eli  or  to  his  sons,  the  priests  of  the  temple, 
instead  of  to  this  young  lad?  Do  you  like  to 
talk  to  people  who  are  not  listening  to  you? 
If  one  is  not  listening  he  cannot  hear,  can 
he?  Samuel  was  listening;  Eli  and  his  sons 
were  not.  The  sons  had  forgotten  all  about 
Jehovah's  laws,  while  Eli  knew  that  he  had  dis- 
obeyed them  and  deserved  punishment. 

How  still  and  peaceful  the  night  was  as 
Eli  and  Samuel  lay  asleep!  Eli  perhaps  had 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN  161 

uneasy  dreams  about  his  sons;  Samuel  lay  in 
the  sound  sleep  of  a  healthy  boy.  Then  sud- 
denly the  child  heard  his  name  called,  "Samuel, 
Samuel,"  and  thinking  that  Eli  needed  him,  he 
jumped  from  his  bed  and  ran  to  Eli,  saying, 
"Here  am  I;  for  thou  calledst  me."  Eli  did 
not  like  having  his  sleep  disturbed  so  soon, 
so  he  said  shortly,  "I  called  not;  lie  down 
again." 

"Samuel,  Samuel,"  called  the  voice  again, 
and  the  boy  once  more  went  to  Eli  with  the 
same  cheery  greeting,  "Here  am  I."  This  time 
Eli  was  awake  and  answered  more  pleasantly, 
for  he  called  ^Samuel  "my  son,"  but  again  he 
told  the  child  to  lie  down  as  he  had  not  spoken. 
Perhaps  by  this  time  he  was  wondering  what 
the  boy  had  heard.  He  did  not  have  long  to 
wait,  for  soon  the  lad  returned,  insisting  that  Eli 
had  called  him.  Eli  knew  now  that  Jehovah  had 
spoken  to  Samuel.  He  knew  the  place  for  God 
to  speak  was  in  His  own  temple,  and  the  lad  was 
the  only  one  in  that  temple  who  had  ears  to  hear. 
So  he  said,  "Go,  lie  down;  and  it  shall  be,  if  He 
call  thee,  that  thou  shalt  say,  Speak,  Jehovah; 
for  Thy  servant  heareth." 


162        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Poor  Eli,  telling  a  little  child  to  do  what 
he  knew  how  to  do  but  had  not  done!  Eli 
meant  to  do  right,  but  did  wrong.  At  that 
hour  did  he  grieve  because  he  had  lost  the  power 
to  hear  God's  voice,  and  did  he  see  in  the  call 
of  this  little  child  that  the  priesthood  had  indeed 
passed  from  himself  and  his  sons? 

There  was  nothing  unusual  in  God's  calling 
Samuel.  Everyone  in  Israel  had  been  taught 
that  Jehovah  was  always  calling  to  His  people. 
Had  not  Moses  told  them,  "The  word  is  very 
nigh  unto  thee,  in  thy  mouth,  and  in  thy  heart?" 
The  unusual  thing  was  listening  and  obeying 
when  one  heard. 

When  Samuel  heard  his  name  spoken  again, 
he  answered  bravely,  "Speak;  for  thy  servant 
heareth." 

Have  any  of  you  boys  or  girls  noticed  the 
different  ways  that  people  answer  when  their 
names  are  called?  Some  drawl,  others  mum- 
ble, while  often  you  hear  a  cheery,  quick  response 
like  Samuel's.  I  say  he  answered  bravely, 
because  when  one  replies  as  he  did  it  means  that 
he  is  not  afraid  of  anything  he  may  be  asked  to 
do.  To  the  waiting,  listening  lad  came  the 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN   163 

warning  to  Eli's  house — that  same  warning 
which  only  a  short  time  before  the  strange 
prophet  had  spoken  to  the  high  priest :  "Behold, 
I  will  do  a  thing  in  Israel,  at  which  both  the  ears 
of  every  one  that  heareth  it  shall  tingle.  In 
that  day  I  will  perform  against  Eli  all  that  I 
have  spoken  concerning  his  house,  from  the 
beginning  even  unto  the  end.  For  I  have  told 
him  that  I  will  judge  his  house  for  ever,  for  the 
iniquity  which  he  knew,  because  his  sons  did 
bring  a  curse  upon  themselves,  and  he  restrained 
them  not.  And  therefore  I  have  sworn  unto 
the  house  of  Eli,  that  the  iniquity  of  Eli's  house 
shall  not  be  expiated  with  sacrifice  nor  offering 
for  ever." 

All  night  the  boy  lay  quietly  thinking,  sorry 
for  Eli,  whom  he  loved,  and  who  was  kind  if  he 
was  weak.  He  knew  he  must  tell  the  high 
priest  what  God's  law  does  to  the  disobedient, 
but  he  was  unhappy  that  he  must  take  such  a 
message  to  his  friend.  Soon  the  stars  began  to 
grow  dim  and  rosy  streaks  shot  across  the  sky. 
Samuel  knew  them  well,  for  he  had  watched  for 
them  every  morning  for  many  years  and  knew 
when  they  came  it  was  time  to  open  the  temple 


164        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

doors.  The  scarlet  in  his  ephod  was  like  these 
crimson  tongues  of  cloud,  and  the  blue  of  the 
morning  sky  was  like  the  ephod 's  blue. 

Samuel  did  not  rush  to  Eli  the  first  thing  in 
the  morning  and  deliver  his  message.  He  had 
it  to  do  and  would  not  flinch,  but  his  love  for 
Eli  made  him  wait  until  the  high  priest  spoke. 

"Samuel,  my  son,"  said  Eli,  and  the  cheery, 
honest  voice  of  the  little  lad  rang  out,  "Here 
am  I." 

"What  is  the  thing  that  Jehovah  hath  spo- 
ken unto  thee?  I  pray  thee,  hide  it  not  from 
me:  God  do  so  to  thee,  and  more  also,  if  thou 
hide  anything  from  me  of  all  the  things  that  He 
spake  unto  thee." 

Samuel  answered.  He  loved  the  truth  and 
he  obeyed,  so  he  gave  to  Eli  the  message — all 
of  it.  The  spirit  he  gave  it  in  must  have  been 
kinder  than  that  of  the  strange  prophet,  for  Eli 
listened  to  the  boy;  he  had  not  listened  to  the 
prophet.  The  words  were  bitter  but  the  spirit 
was  kind,  and  Eli  knew  the  judgment  against 
himself  and  his  sons  was  just,  so  he  accepted  it, 
saying,  "It  is  Jehovah;  let  Him  do  what  seem- 
eth  Him  good." 


WHAT  A  LITTLE  BOY  TAUGHT  A  MAN  165 

By  the  boy  at  his  side  Eli  had  been  taught  a 
lesson  in  fearless  obedience  to  the  truth.  He 
had  never  corrected  his  sons,  but  this  child, 
obeying  what  he  knew  to  be  right,  had  corrected 
Eli,  although  it  must  have  been  as  hard  for  the 
boy  to  rebuke  the  teacher  he  loved  as  it  was  for 
Eli  to  correct  his  sons. 

What  became  of  Samuel?  He  "grew,  and 
Jehovah  was  with  him,  and  did  let  none  of  his 
words  fall  to  the  ground.  And  all  Israel  from 
Dan  even  to  Beer-sheba  knew  that  Samuel  was 
established  to  be  a  prophet  of  Jehovah." 

All  his  mother's  prayers  for  him  were 
answered,  and  he  became  the  last  and  the  great- 
est judge  of  Israel  and  the  first  of  the  great 
prophets.  She  must  have  taught  her  other 
sons  and  daughters — she  had  several  children 
after  Samuel — that  same  lesson,  that  "to  obey 
is  better  than  sacrifice,  and  to  hearken  than  the 
fat  of  rams." 


HOW   HE   WON 

THE  STORY  OF  DAVID  AND  GOLIATH 

There  was  once  a  wonderful  boy  whose 
name  was  David.  He  lived  with  his  father 
and  seven  brothers  in  a  country  where  a  man's 
wealth  was  counted  by  the  number  of  sheep 
and  cattle  he  possessed.  David  had  charge  of 
his  father's  sheep  and  often  was  away  from 
home  in  the  fields  with  them  for  days  at  a  time. 
When  he  slept,  his  pillow  was  some  smooth 
stones  piled  together,  with  his  arms  under  him 
if  he  wanted  it  softer.  The  stars,  and  the 
moon  when  it  shone,  were  his  only  light  at 
night,  and  his  blanket  was  a  rough  mantle  of 
goat's  hair  which  he  wore  over  his  shoulders  in 
the  daytime. 

Some  of  the  nights  in  that  country  are  so 
cold  and  frosty  that  the  sheep  and  shepherd 
have  to  lie  close  together  to  keep  warm  and 
to  protect  themselves  from  wild  animals  that 
prowl  about  at  night.  Fierce  with  hunger, 
these  animals  often  attacked  the  sheep,  and 
now  and  then  a  bold  one  would  attack  the 
shepherd.  Wild,  lawless  men,  more  cruel  than 

1 66 


HOW  HE  WON  167 

the  beasts,  hid  in  gloomy  places  among  the 
rocks  of  the  narrow  valleys.  Often  they  stole 
the  sheep  and  tried  to  kill  the  shepherd.  So, 
you  see,  David's  task  was  not  the  safe  occupa- 
tion the  shepherd's  is  to-day. 

Here  among  bleak  rocks,  in  dark  valleys  or 
sunny  pastures,  the  boy  David  went  for  days, 
and  even  months,  with  none  to  talk  to  unless 
some  poor  wounded  lamb  needed  cuddling — 
just  as  I  have  seen  a  boy  caress  and  talk  to  a 
frightened  kitten  that  had  crept  to  his  arms 
for  safety.  You  will  naturally  ask  why  such 
a  difficult  and  frequently  dangerous  task  was 
not  given  to  one  of  David's  elder  brothers 
instead  of  to  him.  Just  for  the  reason  that  he 
was  the  youngest,  for  in  those  days  the  best 
of  everything  went  to  the  eldest  of  the  family. 
The  younger  brothers  acted  as  servants  to  the 
elder  and  did  the  most  disagreeable  work. 

We  know  that  David  did  not  spend  a  moment 
envying  his  older  brothers,  or  wishing  that  he 
had  been  born  the  eldest  so  that  he  could  go 
to  war  and  help  the  king  fight  the  enemies  of 
his  country.  Glory  was  not  for  David,  and  he 
knew  it.  His  brothers  could  win  victories  in 

12 


i68        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

battle,  but  he  must  stay  out  alone  under  the 
stars  and  care  for  his  father's  sheep.  You  may 
ask  how  we  know  that  David  didn't  envy  his 
brothers,  or  fret  because  they  had  so  much  more 
comfortable  and  lively  a  time  than  himself. 

In  the  story  as  it  was  first  told,  we  read 
that  David  "was  ruddy,  and  withal  of  a  beauti- 
ful countenance,  and  goodly  to  look  upon." 
Now  everyone  knows  that  a  lad  with  a  face 
like  that  does  n't  envy  anyone  and  is  n't  fretful 
and  discontented.  Such  thoughts  would  have 
shown  in  his  face  or  been  evident  in  his  manner, 
and  he  surely  wouldn't  have  been  "goodly  to 
look  upon."  David  had  found  a  Friend  in  the 
wilderness,  a  Friend  who  talked  to  him,  and 
One  to  whom  he  often  talked.  Years  after- 
ward he  wrote  out  these  talks  with  his  Friend, 
and  we  have  them  in  a  book  which  we  call  the 
Psalms.  If  you  will  read  the  Twenty- third 
Psalm  you  will  have  a  word  picture  of  how 
David  cared  for  the  sheep  among  the  hills  of 
Palestine.  It  is  there  he  likens  the  task  of  the 
shepherd  to  God's  caring  for  His  people. 

David,  together  with  his  seven  brothers 
and  other  Hebrew  lads,  had  been  taught  that 


HOW  HE  WON  169 

his  people  had  been  especially  blessed  by 
Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel.  He  had  learned 
how  God  had  brought  the  Hebrews  out  from 
slavery  in  Egypt,  and  how  the  waters  of  the 
Red  Sea  had  rolled  back  so  that  Israel  could 
walk  on  dry  ground  as  they  crossed  from  Egypt 
into  the  desert.  His  father  had  told  him  how 
the  people  had  been  fed  with  manna  in  the 
wilderness.  He  had  told  him  also  how  God 
had  at  last  brought  them  to  a  beautiful  land 
where  they  could  have  a  king  chosen  from 
among  their  own  people,  live  under  their  own 
Hebrew  laws,  and  have  homes  of  their  own. 
Once  a  host  of  weak,  frightened  slaves,  they 
had  become  a  great  and  prosperous  nation, 
feared  by  the  countries  around  them;  and  all 
because  Jehovah,  their  God,  had  been  with 
them  and  directed  them.  Now  we  begin  to 
see  why  David  was  never  lonely  or  afraid,  why 
he  had  strength  to  rescue  the  lambs  from  the 
lion  and  the  bear  that  had  tried  to  destroy 
them,  and  was  able  to  save  his  countrymen 
from  the  fear  of  their  enemies. 

Among  Israel's  enemies  were  the  Philistines, 
who  were  always  provoking  them  to  war.     The 


170        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Hebrews  were  very  much  afraid  of  these 
Philistines.  They  must  have  forgotten  what 
God  had  done  for  them  in  the  past,  or  surely 
they  would  have  called  upon  Him  at  once 
instead  of  putting  their  trust  in  a  heavy  suit 
of  armor  and  a  king  who  was  as  badly  frightened 
as  they  were.  The  Philistines  had  grown  very 
haughty  and  did  a  great  deal  of  swaggering,  as 
enemies  always  do  when  they  see  that  people 
are  afraid  of  them. 

The  armies  of  Israel  stood  on  a  mountain 
side,  and  across  the  valley  on  another  moun- 
tain side  were  the  Philistine  warriors.  These 
two  armies  were  like  two  foolish  and  angry 
boys  who  stand  scowling  at  each  other,  wanting 
to  fight  and  not  exactly  daring  to.  Finally,  a 
giant  Philistine,  named  Goliath,  strode  out  into 
the  valley  and  said  that  he  would  fight  any 
single  man  of  Israel.  If  he  won,  the  Hebrews 
were  to  become  the  Philistines'  servants,  but 
if  the  Hebrews  won,  the  Philistines  would 
submit  to  Israel.  Then  happened  to  Israel 
what  happens  to  all  of  us  when  we  get  badly 
frightened — they  forgot  all  about  their  God  and 
His  former  care  of  them.  That  David  did 


HOW  HE  WON  171 

differently  we  know,  for  in  one  of  the  Psalms 
he  says,  "Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul,  and  forget 
not  all  His  benefits." 

I  know  you  will  say  that  the  Hebrews 
acted  foolishly  and  that  if  you  had  been  in 
their  place  you  would  not  have  done  as  they 
did.  But  stop  a  moment  and  think;  do  we  ever, 
any  of  us,  think  clearly  or  do  anything  sensible 
when  we  are  afraid? 

All  this  time  our  shepherd  boy,  David,  was 
caring  for  his  sheep  and  wanting  to  know  how 
the  battle  was  being  fought,  and  which  side 
was  winning.  Then  a  message  came  to  him 
from  his  father,  to  make  himself  ready  and  carry 
some  food  to  his  brothers  who  were  encamped 
with  Israel  on  the  mountain  side.  Again  we 
see  David  "goodly  to  look  upon,"  for  he  was 
ready  when  his  father  sent  the  message.  Not 
a  word  did  he  say  about  having  to  stop  to  do, 
or  to  finish,  anything  before  he  started  on  his 
errand.  And  he  was  prompt,  for  he  rose  early 
in  the  morning  to  begin  his  journey  to  the 
camp,  and  although  we  know  that,  boylike, 
he  must  have  been  glad  to  visit  the  stirring 
scenes  taking  place  in  the  valley,  he  did  not 


1 72        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

forget  his  sheep,  for  he  left  them  in  charge  of 
a  keeper.  When  he  reached  the  army  he  first 
greeted  his  brothers  and  delivered  his  message. 
Even  the  excitement  about  him  and  his  own 
interest  in  the  expected  battle  did  not  make 
him  forget  what  he  had  come  for;  he  attended 
to  that  first.  You  see,  David,  when  he  had  an 
object  in  view,  went  straight  toward  it,  and 
when  he  aimed  at  anything  he  meant  to  hit  it. 

Goliath  strutted  back  and  forth  before 
Israel,  calling  them  to  come  out  and  fight  him. 
He  sneered  at  them  because  they  were  afraid, 
and  said  that  he  defied  not  only  one  man,  but 
the  whole  army  of  Israel. 

David  was  not  at  all  frightened,  for,  lying 
out  under  the  stars  on  his  stony  pillow,  he  had 
heard  God  whisper  in  his  heart,  "In  quietness 
and  in  confidence  shall  be  your  strength." 
And  he  well  knew  that  the  bluster  and  bragg- 
ing of  a  bully  such  as  Goliath  merely  meant 
weakness. 

But  the  poor  trembling  Hebrews  fled,  telling 
David  that  the  man  who  could  slay  this  giant 
would  be  greatly  honored  by  the  Hebrew  king, 
Saul.  David's  reply  must  have  astonished  them 


HOW  HE  WON  173 

all,  for  it  was,  "What  shall  be  done  to  the  man 
that  killeth  this  Philistine,  and  taketh  away  the 
reproach  from  Israel?  for  who  is  this  uncircum- 
cised  Philistine,  that  he  should  defy  the  armies 
of  the  living  God?" 

David  felt  that  it  was  a  shame  for  his 
countrymen  to  forget  God  and  fear  man,  even 
if  that  man  were  a  giant  covered  with  a  coat 
of  mail  and  heavy  brass  armor,  a  giant  who 
shook  his  great  spear  as  he  walked  toward 
Israel,  with  a  servant  going  before  him  carrying 
his  huge  shield.  But  our  shepherd  boy  had  on 
armor  that  no  one  saw.  His  shield  was  faith 
in  God. 

David's  eldest  brother  was  present  and  was 
very  angry  at  what  he  considered  his  young 
brother's  impertinent  curiosity.  He  said  some 
very  hard  and  unkind  things  to  David.  Here 
again  our  hero  goes  straight  to  his  mark  and 
does  not  miss  his  aim.  His  purpose  was  to 
learn  how  the  trouble  between  Israel  and  the 
Philistines  was  to  be  settled,  and  who  was  to 
meet  Goliath.  He  had  no  time  to  get  angry 
and  quarrel  with  his  brother  when  more  impor- 
tant matters  were  to  be  decided. 


i74        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

King  Saul  sent  for  David  when  he  heard 
how  bravely  the  lad  had  spoken.  No  doubt  he 
was  much  relieved  when  he  thought  that  an 
experienced  Hebrew  warrior  was  willing  to  fight 
this  terrible  Goliath.  Then  picture  his  surprise 
when  the  youthful  David,  with  erect,  slight 
figure  and  fair  face,  was  shown  into  his  tent! 
David  exclaimed  at  once,  "Let  no  man's  heart 
fail  because  of  him ;  thy  servant  will  go  and  fight 
with  this  Philistine." 

The  surprised  king  replied,  "Thou  art  not 
able  to  go  against  this  Philistine  to  fight  with 
him;  for  thou  art  but  a  youth,  and  he  a  man 
of  war  from  his  youth." 

Then  our  shepherd  boy  said  that  God  had 
delivered  him  and  his  sheep  from  the  paws  of 
a  lion  and  a  bear,  and  that  the  same  God  was 
certainly  able  to  overcome  the  Philistine  and 
save  Israel.  I  don't  suppose  that  David's 
memory  was  a  bit  better  than  Saul's  or  that  of 
the  rest  of  the  Hebrew  army.  But  Saul  and 
his  men  were  filled  with  fear,  and  David  was 
strong  in  faith.  Their  memories  were  at  work 
telling  them  how  dangerous  their  enemies  were 
and  how  much  harm  they  had  done  Israel, 


DAVID  RESCUING  THE  LAMB 


HOW  HE  WON  175 

while  David's  memory  rested  in  the  thought  of 
the  power  of  God  and  how  he  had  never  failed 
to  deliver  Israel  from  her  enemies. 

Saul  admired  David's  courage,  but  evidently 
thought  that  the  lad  did  not  realize  the  danger, 
for  he  armed  the  youth  with  his  bulky  armor. 
Some  of  you  who  have  read  the  tales  of  chivalry 
in  the  Middle  Ages  know  how  the  knights  rode 
about  clad  in  heavy  armor.  If  any  one  of  them 
was  unhorsed,  his  enemy  could  easily  kill  him, 
because  his  armor  was  so  bulky  and  heavy  that 
it  was  almost  impossible  for  the  knight  to  move 
about  in  it.  David  felt  this  way  about  Saul's 
armor.  He  was  not  used  to  it  and  therefore 
it  hindered  him,  so  he  put  off  the  armor,  saying, 
"I  cannot  go  with  these;  for  I  have  not 
proved  them." 

Saul  did  not  know  then  what  every  school 
boy  knows  now,  that  unseen  forces  are  the 
most  powerful.  And  we  should  not  be  surprised 
at  his  thinking  that  David's  faith,  which  Saul 
could  neither  see  nor  feel,  was  not  as  powerful 
as  his  fine  suit  of  armor.  How  did  David  go  to 
meet  Goliath?  He  took  his  staff,  slung  his 
shepherd's  bag  across  his  shoulders  after  putting 


176        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

in  it  five  smooth  stones,  and  carried  his  sling 
in  his  hand.  When  Goliath  and  his  shield- 
bearer  advanced  to  meet  David,  I  am  sure  both 
armies  held  their  breath  with  suspense.  The 
Hebrews  looking  at  the  mighty  giant  marching 
toward  the  youthful  unarmed  figure  of  David 
must  have  gained  new  courage,  for  courage  and 
faith  are  contagious,  as  well  as  fear  and  doubt. 
David's  example  and  his  words  had  put  new 
energy  into  his  people,  and  could  you  and  I 
have  seen  them,  we  should  have  been  surprised 
at  the  change  in  them,  no  longer  cowering  before 
the  threats  of  the  Philistines,  but  erect  with 
the  hope  of  victory. 

As  for  the  foolish  Philistines,  they  were 
probably  laughing  in  their  sleeves  at  the  sight 
and  wondering  if  Israel  and  David  had  lost  all 
their  good  sense.  This  is  done  to-day  by  all 
people  who  cannot  understand  spiritual  things. 
Such  people  say  that  because  a  thing  can't  be 
seen,  heard,  tasted,  touched,  or  smelled,  it  does 
not  exist.  But  we  shall  see  who  was  in  the 
right :  the  Philistines  trusting  in  that  which  they 
saw,  or  the  lad  who  had  faith  in  the  unseen 
God. 


HOW  HE  WON  177 

Goliath  was  very  angry  when  he  saw  David 
coming  toward  him,  and  cursed  him,  saying, 
"Am  I  a  dog,  that  thou  comest  to  meet  me 
with  staves?  ....  Come  to  me,  and  I  will 
give  thy  flesh  unto  the  birds  of  the  heavens, 
and  to  the  beasts  of  the  field." 

Of  course  we  know  by  this  time  that  these 
words  did  not  disturb  David  or  make  him  wish 
that  he  had  not  offered  to  battle  against  the 
giant.  Instead,  he  must  have  looked  steadily 
at  Goliath,  for  to  have  a  good  aim  a  lad  must 
look  at  his  mark  and  have  a  steady  arm  and. 
clear  sight.  Had  his  faith  weakened  and  fear 
taken  its  place,  the  stones  in  his  bag  and  the 
sling  in  his  hand  would  have  been  useless.  An 
arm  trembling  with  fright  or  doubt  cannot  send 
a  stone,  or  anything  else,  straight  toward  its 
mark.  David  answered  the  savage  Philistine 
in  words  that  will  live  forever,  so  full  are  they 
of  faith  in  "our  Father,"  God. 

"Thou  comest  to  meet  me  with  a  sword, 
and  with  a  spear,  and  with  a  javelin:  but  I 
come  to  thee  in  the  name  of  Jehovah  of  hosts, 
the  God  of  the  armies  of  Israel,  whom  thou 
has  defied.  This  day  will  Jehovah  deliver  thee 


i78        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

into  my  hand  ....  that  all  the  earth  may 
know  that  there  is  a  God  in  Israel,  and  that 
all  this  assembly  may  know  that  Jehovah 
saveth  not  with  sword  and  spear:  for  the  bat- 
tle is  Jehovah's,  and  He  will  give  you  into  our 
hand." 

You  have  seen  from  the  beginning  that  this 
was  a  very  unequal  contest;  perhaps  you  have 
sympathized  with  Israel,  because  you  believed 
they  were  physically  weaker  than  their  enemies. 
Maybe  you  who  are  older,  and  have  learned 
that  a  boy's  head  is  worth  more  than  his  fist 
when  he  does  some  thinking,  have  felt  ashamed 
of  the  ignorance  of  the  Philistines,  who  tried 
to  fight  God,  Spirit,  with  sword  and  spear. 
Whichever  way  you  may  have  thought,  the 
battle  was  Jehovah's,  as  David  said,  and  He 
did  deliver  Goliath  into  the  hands  of  the  shep- 
herd boy. 

As  the  giant  advanced  swaggering  and 
cursing,  trusting  in  his  immense  size  and  the 
strength  of  his  armor,  David  began  to  run 
toward  the  Philistine.  Drawing  a  stone  from 
his  bag  as  he  ran,  he  put  it  in  his  sling  and 
took  aim  at  Goliath.  As  David's  faith  and 


HOW  HE  WON  179 

courage  were  sure,  so.  was  his  aim,  and  the 
stone  sank  into  the  giant's  forehead.  The 
mighty  Philistine  fell  to  the  ground  face  down- 
ward. In  those  days  it  was  customary  to  cut 
off  the  head  of  a  fallen  enemy.  This  David 
did,  using  the  giant's  own  sword.  Then  he  held 
up  the  head  of  Goliath  before  Israel,  proclaiming 
his  victory. 

When  the  Philistines  saw  that  they  were 
defeated,  they  fled,  leaving  their  tents  and 
treasures  in  the  hands  of  Israel.  The  overjoyed 
Hebrews  sang  praises  to  their  youthful  hero, 
who  had  delivered  them  out  of  the  hand  of  their 
enemies.  While  they  were  praising  him,  David, 
we  know,  must  have  thanked  God  for  the 
victory— as  always  he  had  done  and  continued 
to  do  throughout  his  life  when  he  was  saved 
from  trouble  or  from  danger.  Some  of  these 
thanksgiving  songs  of  David's  are  written  in 
the  Psalms.  If  you  will  read  them  you  will 
come  to  love  the  shepherd  lad  who  found  God 
"a  very  present  help  in  trouble."  David 
learned  to  love  and  to  have  faith  in  the  unseen 
Power  who  guided  him  in  the  wilderness  with 
his  sheep  and  taught,  him  the  lessons  which 


i8o        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

made  him  afterward  the  well-beloved  king  of 
Israel.  As  you  know,  the  name  "David" 
means  "beloved." 


THE  BOOMERANG 

SOLOMON  AND  THE  QUEEN  OF  SHEBA 

What  fun  it  is  to  travel  and  see  strange 
sights  and  queer  people!  There  is  so  much 
bustle  and  stir  at  the  station — engines  puffing, 
bells  ringing,  men  calling  trains,  while  people 
scramble  up  the  steep  steps  of  the  cars,  holding 
fast  to  tickets  which  tell  the  conductor  how  far 
they  are  to  go.  Watching  from  car  windows 
it  surely  seems  not  we,  but  the  telegraph  poles, 
that  are  moving  so  rapidly  down  the  track. 
We  seem  to  be  sitting  still  while  fences  hurry 
by  in  their  effort  to  keep  step  with  the  poles. 
Even  the  trees  appear  to  be  running  a  race; 
those  in  the  distance  saunter  along  in  a  very 
dignified  manner,  while  those  nearer  us  give  a 
toss  to  their  branches  as  they  rush  past  with  a 
how-do-you-do  and  good-by. 

Suppose  we  take  a  journey  today.  But  it 
will  not  be  by  train,  for  we  are  going  to  fly. 
Does  that  strike  you  as  being  odd?  Well,  what 
will  you  say  when  I  tell  you  that  we  are  going 
to  sit  still  in  our  chairs  at  home  and  at  the  same 
time  go  on  a  long  journey? 

181 


182        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

"That  is  impossible,"  some  of  you  are  say- 
ing. "No  one  can  be  traveling  while  staying 
at  home." 

We  can  easily  do  it,  for  our  flight  is  to  be 
only  a  flight  of  the  imagination,  and  our  jour- 
ney is  to  carry  us  not  over  miles  of  land,  but 
over  many  years  of  time.  You  boys  and  girls 
who  have  studied  history  will  best  enjoy  the 
journey,  but  when  we  arrive  at  our  destination 
even  the  little  tots  will  like  it. 

Now  we  are  off.  Take  a  good  look  at  every- 
thing before  we  start,  and  leave  the  comfortable 
things  of  to-day  and  go  back  into  the  past.  We 
shall  pass  the  years  in  which  Washington  and 
his  brave  soldiers  fought  for  America's  inde- 
pendence, and  go  beyond  the  time  when  three 
tiny  ships  landed  Columbus  and  his  men  on  the 
shores  of  San  Salvador.  We  shall  see  the  char- 
ter of  England's  freedom  hidden  in  the  old  oak. 
And  as  we  pass  by  the  years  we  shall  leave 
behind  us  thousands  of  children  marching 
across  Europe  in  their  crusade  to  rescue  the 
Holy  Sepulcher  from  heathen  hands.  Rome  will 
burn  to  ashes,  Christianity  will  not  have  been 
born,  Europe  will  be  only  a  bleak  wilderness 


THE  BOOMERANG  183 

at  the  time  we  arrive  at  our  journey's  end; 
for  we  are  going,  not  three  thousand  miles,  but 
three  thousand  years  back  in  time.  It  is  best 
not  to  make  too  many  stops  along  the  way,  for 
our  errand  is  important  and  we  wish  to  be  in 
time  to  see  the  queen  of  Sheba  enter  Jerusalem 
when  she  makes  her  visit  to  King  Solomon  of 
Israel.  We  have  not  been  invited  and  so  can- 
not join  in  the  festivities,  but  we  can  look  on, 
and  after  a  three  thousand  years'  flight  I  am 
sure  we  shall  all  be  content  to  rest  and  watch 
the  gay  city  entertain  its  royal  guest. 

You  will  remember  Jacob  and  his  lonely 
journey  across  the  wilderness,  and  the  promise 
God  made  him  there  that  he  should  become  the 
father  of  a  great  people.  This  promise  had 
been  fulfilled  when  our  story  opens,  and  Israel 
had  become  a  powerful  nation.  Solomon,  her 
king,  was  very  wise — so  wise  and  wealthy  that 
the  queen  of  Sheba  had  left  her  country  far  in 
the  south  to  visit  him.  His  fame  had  spread 
abroad  to  all  countries,  and  the  queen,  not  able 
to  believe  all  that  she  had  heard  about  him, 
determined  to  find  out  for  herself  whether  the 
reports  were  true. 

13 


184        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

We  have  arrived  just  in  the  nick  of  time. 
We  find  Jerusalem  all  excitement,  expectantly 
awaiting  the  coming  of  the  queen. 

"How  new  everything  looks!"  some  little 
girl  is  saying. 

Yes,  it  does.  It  is  really  an  old,  old  city, 
but  Solomon,  the  son  of  David,  has  made  so 
many  improvements  that  to  us  it  seems  new. 
The  streets  lately  paved  with  black  stone,  the 
strong  wall  with  its  great  towers,  the  wonderful 
golden  temple,  and  Solomon's  magnificent  palace 
have  all  been  built  by  him. 

"And,  oh,  there  is  a  summer  garden  out- 
side the  walls  of  the  city!"  cries  a  small  boy 
delightedly. 

It  may  look  like  a  summer  garden  to  you, 
and  I  will  admit  that  the  description  of  Para- 
dise— the  name  Solomon  gave  his  garden — is 
very  much  like  a  description  of  our  modern 
amusement  parks.  But  there  is  a  difference. 
Our  gardens  are  for  everybody,  while  Solomon's 
were  only  for  himself  and  his  nobles  and  royal 
guests.  Later  we  shall  stop  at  the  garden  and 
see  all  its  attractions,  but  now  we  must  hurry 
up  the  steep  slopes  to  the  city  gates  if  we  are 


THE  BOOMERANG  185 

to  be  there  when  the  queen  and  her  royal  train 
enter. 

It  was  Jerusalem's  most  prosperous  era,  and 
she  gloried  in  it.  Was  not  Solomon,  her  king, 
the  wisest  of  all  men?  So  far  no  one  had  been 
able  to  ask  him  a  question  that  he  could  not 
answer.  Stop  for  a  moment  and  glance  at  the 
stately  temple.  You  may  have  to  shield  your 
eyes,  for  its  golden  beauty  dazzles  in  the 
sunshine.  To  this  day  no  more  costly  or  mag- 
nificent temple  or  church  has  ever  been  built. 
Seven  years  it  was  in  building,  and  when  it  was 
dedicated  so  many  sheep  and  oxen  were  sacri- 
ficed that  blood  ran  in  streams  down  the  temple 
courts.  While  we  are  looking  at  the  temple 
let  us  examine  the  "molten  sea"  in  one  of  the 
temple  courts.  This  is  a  massive  bowl  of 
copper  holding  thousands  of  gallons  of  water. 
Here  the  priests  washed  their  hands  and  feet 
before  killing  the  animals  to  be  burned  on  the 
altar.  You  wonder  why  the  priests  washed 
before,  instead  of  after,  sacrificing?  Perhaps 
you  think,  as  I  thought  for  many  years,  the 
cleaner  way  would  have  been  to  wash  after  the 
slaughter  was  over.  But  we  must  remember 


i86        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

that  the  people  of  olden  times  often  talked  in 
symbols;  that  is,  what  they  did  had  as  much 
meaning  as  though  they  had  spoken. 

Only  in  a  condition  of  holiness — that  is, 
of  purity — would  anything  offered  to  God 
be  acceptable  to  Him.  For  this  reason  when 
the  priests  sacrificed — that  is,  made  Him  an 
offering — they  first  cleansed  themselves.  The 
"molten  sea"  is  a  mammoth  bowl,  but  the 
twelve  great  copper  oxen  on  whose  backs  the 
"sea"  rests  are  well  able  to  hold  it. 

Do  you  wish  to  mount  the  steps  of  the  bra- 
zen altar?  It  is  large,  and  the  steps  high,  but 
as  they  are  arranged  in  three  tiers  like  terraces, 
we  can  stop  at  each  landing.  At  the  top  is  the 
blazing  square  where  the  animals  are  burned. 
There  are  channels  in  which  the  blood  of  the 
victims  is  carried  away  from  the  altar.  But, 
even  at  that,  the  smell  of  burning  flesh  and 
scorching  blood  is  not  pleasant,  and  we  shall 
hurry  on  until  we  reach  the  city  streets  so 
thronged  with  people.  Old  and  young,  big  and 
little,  are  scurrying  along  to  reach  the  city  walls 
in  time  to  see  the  queen  as  she  passes  through 
the  gates  to  Solomon's  palace.  We  shall  follow 


THE  BOOMERANG  187 

the  crowd  and  halt  with  them,  for  they  will 
know  best  where  we  can  see  most. 

There  they  come,  the  queen  and  her  long 
train  of  camels,  servants,  slaves,  and  soldiers. 
Those  patient  camels  plod  along  slowly,  chew- 
ing their  cuds  as  they  enter  the  gates.  They 
have  crossed  a  desert  carrying  on  their  backs 
great  packs  of  costly  spices  and  precious  jewels 
to  be  given  to  King  Solomon.  They  have  come 
from  a  long  distance  and  brought  with  them 
vats  of  water  and  stores  of  food,  for  when 
people  traveled  in  those  days  they  had  to 
carry  everything  they  needed  with  them.  Day 
after  day  and  night  after  night  the  queen  and 
her  train  have  been  traveling.  There  have  been 
days  when  all  of  them  lay  flat  on  the  sands  of 
the  desert  to  be  safe  as  a  sand  storm  swept  over 
them.  The  peril  of  roving  bands  of  robbers, 
and  wild  animals  snarling  about  the  fires  at 
night,  the  queen  has  braved  in  order  to  greet 
the  wisest  of  all  men,  King  Solomon  of  Israel. 
The  train  of  camels  as  it  passes  through  the 
gates  leaves  behind  it  sweet-smelling  odors.  It 
is  because  the  enormous  packs  the  camels  carry 
are  filled  with  spices,  the  rich,  sweet-smelling 


1 88         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  Sf OKIES 

plants  and  perfumes  of  the  Orient.  The  Bible 
says:  "There  came  no  more  such  abundance 
of  spices  as  these  which  the  queen  of  Sheba  gave 
to  King  Solomon." 

We  will  go  with  the  queen  and  her  train  as 
they  move  toward  the  palace.  Let  us  slip  inside 
and  watch  as  Solomon  waits  for  his  royal  vis- 
itor. There  he  sits  on  his  gorgeous  ivory  and 
gold  throne.  To  us  it  looks  like  a  mammoth 
chair  at  the  head  of  a  flight  of  steps  of  ivory  and 
gold.  The  king's  arms  are  outstretched  upon 
the  arms  of  his  wonderful  throne.  The  arms 
of  this  throne  rest  upon  twelve  ivory  and  gold 
lions  seated  upon  the  steps.  David,  his  father, 
was  of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  these  lions  repre- 
sent "the  lion  of  the  tribe  of  Judah." 

At  last  the  queen  and  her  train  of  servants 
and  soldiers  enter  and  sweep  down  the  aisles  of 
the  immense  audience  hall.  It  is  called  "The 
house  of  the  forest  of  Lebanon"  because  of  the 
forty-five  massive  cedar  pillars  from  Lebanon 
which  decorate  it.  The  blare  of  horns  and  the 
clash  of  cymbals  will  not  let  us  hear  the  greeting 
Solomon  gives  the  queen.  But  that  it  was 
kindly  we  know  because  the  queen  begins  at 


THE  BOOMERANG  189 

once  to  offer  him  her  priceless  gifts.  Diamonds, 
rubies,  and  pearls  she  must  have  brought  him 
by  the  bushel,  as  we  are  told  there  was  no  count- 
ing them  for  their  number.  She  brought  him 
rare  spices — that  is,  oils,  ointment,  and  per- 
fumes—  such  as  his  kingdom,  rich  as  it  was, 
had  never  seen.  Of  gold  she  gave  him  one 
hundred  and  twenty  talents,  a  sum  equal  to 
about  four  million  of  our  dollars. 

Then  followed  days  of  luxurious  entertain- 
ment. The  king  spared  neither  money  nor 
time  to  make  the  queen's  visit  one  to  be  remem- 
bered. Together  they  must  have  visited  his 
summer  home.  Paradise  he  called  it.  In  this 
paradise  were  great  gardens  filled  with  plants, 
trees,  and  flowers  brought  from  many  lands. 
There  were  pools  of  water  in  abundance,  and 
vineyards.  Men  and  women  singers  delighted 
his  visitors,  and  dancing  girls  wound  in  and  out 
amongst  the  trees  and  shrubbery.  Deer  drank 
by  the  pools  of  water.  In  fact,  everything  to 
please  the  fancy  of  his  guests  abounded  in  this 
garden. 

The  chariots  of  the  queen  and  Solomon 
must  have  moved  side  by  side  as  they  went 


IQO        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

from  Jerusalem  to  his  paradise  at  Etham.  The 
queen  was  all  astonishment  as  Solomon  in  his 
glistening  white  garments  mounted  his  chariot 
of  cedar  and  gold.  The  fiery  Egyptian  horses 
were  driven  by  a  handsome  youth  clad  in  expen- 
sive Tyrian  purple,  with  his  long  black  hair 
freshly  sprinkled  with  powdered  gold.  None 
but  young  men,  the  tallest  and  handsomest  of 
Israel,  were  allowed  to  be  Solomon's  bodyguard, 
and  when  they  went  with  him  to  Paradise  they 
were  obliged  to  wear  expensive  Tyrian  purple 
and  had  daily  to  dust  their  hair  with  powdered 
gold. 

The  queen  watched  in  silent  amazement  as 
Solomon  passed  from  the  judgment  hall  to  the 
temple  between  two  lines  of  soldiers  each  carry- 
ing a  shield  of  gold. 

' '  Golden  shields ! ' '  says  some  boy.  ' '  Of  what 
use  could  they  be?  Gold  is  too  soft  a  metal  to 
be  used  for  shields." 

They  were  not  for  use,  only  for  show,  and  to 
add  to  the  glory  of  Solomon  as  he  went  from 
palace  to  temple.  You  remember  he  only  had 
a  few  hundred  made,  not  nearly  enough  to  fit 
out  an  army. 


THE  BOOMERANG  I9i 

From  their  visit  to  the  temple  let  us  go  to 
the  hall  where  the  king's  table  is  ready  for  his 
guests  and  his  household.  It  will  not  be  a 
table  like  ours.  Neither  will  they  sit  down  to 
it,  for  Orientals  recline  while  they  eat,  with 
their  heads  turned  towards  the  low  table.  We 
cannot  stop  to  sample  all  of  the  dishes,  for  we 
have  been  told  by  the  Bible  that  in  one  day  only, 
the  king  and  his  household  ate  three  hundred 
bushels  of  fine  flour,  six  hundred  bushels  of 
meal,  ten  fat  oxen,  and  twenty  of  the  leaner 
field  oxen,  one  hundred  sheep,  besides  plenty  of 
wild  game  such  as  fowl  and  deer,  and  other 
delicacies. 

"It  seems  as  though  they  ate  mostly  meat," 
says  some  little  girl. 

Yes,  the  people  of  long  ago  had  many  fancy 
ways  of  serving  meats.  They  were  expensive 
and  foolish,  but  the  kings  and  nobles  of  those 
days  enjoyed  wasting  both  food  and  money 
while  the  poorer  people  went  hungry. 

Let  us  follow  the  king  and  queen  as  they 
visit  the  royal  stables  where  Solomon  has  his 
forty  thousand  stalls  of  horses  and  shelters  his 
thousand  and  four  hundred  chariots.  Every 


i92         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

boy  and  girl  will  enjoy  looking  at  these  beauti- 
ful Egyptian  steeds.  How  restless  and  impa- 
tient they  are,  confined  in  their  stalls!  Their 
glossy  coats  and  long  manes  are  daily  groomed 
by  men  appointed  for  that  special  purpose. 
These  horses  cost  too  much  to  be  neglected. 
Solomon  loved  his  horses,  but  did  not  love  the 
stranger  that  was  within  his  gates. 

Why  do  I  say  that?  Because  when  he 
built  his  temple  he  had  made  slaves  of  the  for- 
eigners dwelling  in  Jerusalem,  compelling  them 
to  cut  stone  and  hew  wood  for  it.  In  order 
that  their  cries  and  groans  should  not  disturb 
the  ears  of  the  dwellers  in  the  city,  these  enslaved 
Caananites  were  forced  to  work  outside  the  walls 
of  Jerusalem.  They  were  compelled  to  finish 
every  stone,  beam,  and  pillar  used  in  building 
before  it  was  brought  inside  the  city  walls,  and 
this  is  the  reason  "there  was  neither  hammer 
nor  axe  nor  any  tool  of  iron  heard  in  the  house, 
while  it  was  in  building." 

"And  why,"  some  boy  asks,  "did  Solomon 
have  horses  and  chariots  when  a  king  of  Israel 
was  forbidden  to  multiply  horses,  and  was  told 
not  to  deal  with  Egypt?" 


THE  BOOMERANG  193 

Yes,  and  he  was  also  told  that  he  should  not 
multiply  silver  and  gold.  But  in  spite  of  that, 
Solomon  had  even  the  dishes  for  his  table  made 
of  gold ;  and  as  for  silver,  he  made  it  so  common 
that  it  was  of  no  more  value  than  the  stones  of 
the  street. 

"  Did  n't  Solomon  pray  for  wisdom?"  inquires 
a  little  girl. 

"Yes,  and  he  asked  God  to  punish  wicked- 
ness and  to  reward  righteousness,"  replies 
another  child. 

"He  said  more  than  that,"  a  boy  adds,  "he 
asked  God  to  condemn  the  wicked  and  to  bring 
his  way  upon  his  own  head." 

You  are  right,  children.  Solomon  prayed 
for  wisdom  which  he  did  not  use  for  good.  He 
asked  to  be  given  the  power  to  "discern  between 
good  and  evil,"  and  then  he  chose  to  do  evil. 
No  doubt  some  of  you  will  remember  that  the 
Bible  says, 

"Woe  to  them  that  go  down  to  Egypt  for  help, 
and  rely  on  horses,  and  trust  in  chariots  because 
they  are  many,  and  in  horsemen  because  they 
are  very  strong,  but  they  look  not  unto  the 
Holy  One  of  Israel,  neither  seek  Jehovah!" 


i94        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

"I  don't  think  Solomon  really  trusted  in 
God  as  much  as  he  did  in  his  chariots,"  all  of 
you  are  saying. 

He  surely  did  not,  and  I  am  afraid  he  had 
already  forgotten  his  father,  David,  who  slew 
the  powerful  giant,  Goliath,  with  only  a  small 
stone  in  a  sling,  and  who  said,  "Jehovah  saveth 
not  with  sword  and  spear."  God  is  unchanging 
and  could  have  saved  Israel  and  Solomon  as 
easily  as  he  had  saved  David.  Because  he  is 
unchanging  we  can  safely  trust  God  at  all 
times.  Remember,  God  has  said  through  the 
mouth  of  one  of  his  prophets,  "For  I,  Jehovah, 
change  not;  therefore  ye,  O  sons  of  Jacob,  are 
not  consumed." 

But  let  us  go  back  in  our  story  and  listen  to 
the  queen  of  Sheba  as  she  tests  Solomon  with 
hard  questions.  He  has  a  ready  answer  for  all 
of  them;  nothing  that  she  can  ask  is  too  hard 
for  him.  And  why  should  it  be?  He  who  was 
able  to  write  three  thousand  proverbs  and  one 
thousand  and  five  songs,  and  had  built  costly 
temples  and  palaces,  who  had  studied  the  habits 
of  plants,  fishes,  birds,  and  beasts,  and  who  had 
built  a  navy  and  encouraged  learning,  certainly 


THE  BOOMERANG  195 

could  answer  any  question  that  a  person  could 
ask.  But  there  are  some  questions  the  smallest 
tot  among  you  could  ask  him  which  he  could 
not  answer. 

Solomon,  why  did  you  pray  for  good  and 
then  do  evil?  Why  did  you  say  Jehovah  was 
the  only  God  in  earth  or  in  heaven  and  then 
erect  temples  to  Moloch  and  Chemosh,  the  hor- 
rible firegods  of  the  heathen?  And  why  did  you 
ask  to  keep  all  Jehovah's  laws  and  precepts  and 
immediately  begin  to  break  every  one  of  them? 

What  do  you  think  he  would  have  answered 
to  these  questions? 

"Nothing,"  say  some  of  you,  and  I  think 
myself  that  silence  would  have  been  the  best 
answer. 

But  the  queen  was  satisfied.  All  that  she 
desired  had  been  given  her.  Solomon's  glory 
and  his  magnificence  had  so  awed  her  that,  as 
the  Bible  expresses  it,  "there  was  no  more  spirit 
in  her,"  and  she  said  to  the  king:  "Thy  wisdom 
and  prosperity  exceed  the  fame  which  I  heard." 
*  *  *  * 

The  sun's  rays  fall  upon  glistening  gold  and 
polished  ivory.  In  some  corners  of  the  narrow 


i96         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

streets  the  night  shadows  are  already  gathering 
when  the  queen  of  Sheba  and  her  train  again 
pass  through  Jerusalem's  gates  and  slowly 
wind  down  the  steep  slopes  leading  to  the 
valley.  The  camel  boys  and  servants  are 
chanting  the  weird  songs  of  the  desert  as 
they  go.  As  she  rides  away  the  queen  turns  to 
cast  a  last  look  at  the  splendor  of  Jerusalem, 
and  as  she  does  so  breathes  a  prayer;  it  is  for 
Solomon. 

"Happy  are  thy  men,  happy  ....  thy  ser- 
vants, that  stand  continually  before  thee,  and 
that  hear  thy  wisdom.  Blessed  be  Jehovah 
thy  God,  who  delighted  in  thee,  to  set  thee 
on  the  throne  of  Israel  .  .  .  .  to  do  justice 
and  righteousness." 

We  turn  back  to  the  city  as  darkness  hides 
the  queen  and  her  train  from  view.  Life  and 
love  seem  to  have  gone  with  her.  Instead  of 
songs  of  joy  there  come  to  our  ears  the  curses 
and  cries  of  a  suffering  people,  the  slaves  that 
were  doing  Solomon's  hard  labor.  Their  voices 
in  the  night  are  crying  for  relief  from  their 
misery. 

"Will  they  get  it?"  you  ask. 


THE  BOOMERANG  197 

Think  for  a  moment.  Don't  you  remember 
that  when  Solomon  dedicated  his  wonderful 
temple  he  asked  God  to  bless  the  strangers 
dwelling  among  Israel,  and  also  to  hear  them 
when  they  cried  unto  Jehovah  to  avenge  their 
wrongs? 

Was  it  the  night  the  queen  turned  again 
and  went  to  her  own  country  that  Solomon 
remembered  what  she  had  said  to  him  about 
being  made  a  king  to  do  righteousness,  and 
heard  again  the  voice  of  Jehovah,  this  time 
not  in  commendation? 

"Jehovah  was  angry  with  Solomon,  because 
his  heart  was  turned  away  from  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Israel  ....  wherefore  Jehovah  said 
unto  Solomon,  Forasmuch  as  this  is  done  of 
thee,  and  thou  hast  not  kept  my  covenant  and 
my  statutes  ....  I  will  surely  rend  the 
kingdom  from  thee,  and  will  give  it  to  thy 
servant." 

Poor  king!  Poor  unhappy  wise  man!  His 
wisdom  became  to  him  a  torment.  He  tells 
us  so  himself,  saying,  "In  much  wisdom  is 
much  grief;  and  he  that  increaseth  knowledge 
increaseth  sorrow." 


i98        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Wisdom  misused,  as  Solomon  misused  his, 
does  become  a  torment,  as  he  said.  You  have 
read  of  the  curious  weapon  called  a  boomerang 
thrown  by  the  Australian  natives.  If  not 
hurled  aright  it  can  do  the  thrower  injury,  as 
it  always  returns  to  the  hand  that  hurls  it.  So 
everything  we  have  and  do  not  use  aright  comes 
back  to  us  and  does  us  harm. 

Solomon  prayed  for  wisdom,  received  it, 
and  did  not  use  it  rightly.  His  wisdom,  which 
should  have  been  a  blessing,  became  a  curse 
to  him  and  to  his  country.  During  his  life- 
time Israel  was  enriched,  but  when  his  son 
succeeded  him  the  glory  of  the  kingdom  faded 
and  it  became  two  petty  principalities  warring 
always  with  each  other  and  with  surrounding 
nations. 

Solomon  the  wise  saw,  before  he  died,  the 
results  of  his  cruelty  and  extravagance.  The 
people  were  already  rebelling  against  the  unjust 
taxes  he  imposed  upon  them  and  refusing  to  be 
his  slaves.  Do  you  wonder  that,  in  the  bitter- 
ness of  his  disappointment  at  having  ruined 
instead  of  establishing  Israel,  he  said,  "I  have 
seen  all  the  works  that  are  done  under  the  sun; 


THE  BOOMERANG  199 

and,  behold,  all  is  vanity  and  a  striving  after 

wind." 

*  *  *  * 

Let  us  not  be  too  severe  upon  the  king.  It 
is  wise  to  remember  that  we,  too,  may  have 
gifts,  advantages,  and  opportunities  that  we 
are  not  using  rightly.  Perhaps  we  have  prayed 
for  the  desire  of  our  hearts  as  Solomon  prayed 
for  his  wisdom,  and  been  as  ignorant  as  he  was 
in  the  use  of  it.  But  of  one  thing  we  can  be 
certain:  Whatever  we  do  not  handle  aright, 
no  matter  what  it  may  be,  is  sure  to  return  to 
us,  or,  as  Ezekiel  the  prophet  declares,  "There- 
fore thus  saith  the  Lord  Jehovah:  As  I  live, 
surely  mine  oath  that  he  hath  despised,  and  my 
covenant  that  he  hath  broken,  I  will  even  bring 
it  upon  his  own  head." 


14 


THE   ONLY   ONE 

THE   FLIGHT   OF   ELIJAH 

If  you  have  ever  seen  a  military  parade — 
soldiers  marching  with  flags  flying  and  drums 
beating — and  have  listened  to  the  stirring 
strains  of  music  played  by  the  bands  as  they 
passed — the  people  waving  and  shouting  at 
them  from  the  house  windows,  roofs,  and  street 
curbs — you  will  feel  the  spirit  of  this  story. 
It  is  a  stirring  one,  for  our  hero  Elijah  was  a 
stirring  character. 

Who  was  Elijah?  He  was  a  prophet.  "Oh, 
I  know  what  a  prophet  is,"  I  hear  some  of 
you  say.  "He  is  a  person  who  tells  about 
things  before  they  happen."  In  that  sense  our 
weather  man  who  tells  us  on  Wednesday  what 
the  weather  is  going  to  be  on  Thursday,  or  next 
week,  is  a  prophet.  Like  many  other  words, 
"prophet"  has  been  wrongly  used  and  now  has 
come  to  mean  something  it  did  not  mean  at 
first.  Originally  the  word  meant  one  who  is 
inspired,  or,  using  it  in  its  present  sense,  the 
word  "prophet"  means  one  who  speaks  for 
another.  And  this  is  what  Elijah  did.  He 

200 


THE  ONLY  ONE  201 

spoke  for  God.  In  fact,  the  name  Elijah  means 
"Jehovah  is  God." 

Were  you  ever  startled,  when  you  thought 
you  were  alone,  by  some  one  suddenly  speaking 
to  you  or  coming  quietly  behind  you  and  touch- 
ing you?  Do  you  remember  how  you  gave  a 
start  of  surprise  or  perhaps  cried  out  in  alarm? 
So  it  was  with  Elijah.  He  comes  so  suddenly 
and  vigorously  into  the  Bible  story  that  we 
have  to  pause  a  minute  to  get  used  to  him. 
And  it  is  the  same  all  the  way  through.  He  is 
supposed  to  be  far  away,  when,  instantly, 
he  stands  before  you.  No  story  of  a  magi- 
cian mysteriously  appearing  and  disappearing 
is  more  fascinating  than  the  story  of  Elijah. 
But  so  many  things  happened  in  his  life  that  I 
can  tell  you  of  only  one  of  them. 

He  was  very  severe  and  stern,  as  most  people 
are  who  live  alone  and  do  not  know  others  well 
enough  to  understand  them  or  to  have  charity 
for  them.  Living  in  the  desert  as  he  did,  wan- 
dering about  without  any  fixed  home,  eating  or 
not  as  it  happened,  and  wearing  the  coarsest 
clothing,  he  could  not  understand  why  others 
were  miserable  because  they  did  not  have 


202         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

everything  they  wanted.  So  the  people  who 
loved  pleasure,  and  Elijah,  who  thought  God's 
service  meant  having  little  or  no  pleasure,  hated 
each  other  as  only  people  can  hate  who  look  at 
each  other's  faults  instead  of  trying  to  find  out 
each  other's  virtues. 

Elijah  was  fearless,  honest,  and  determined, 
and  felt  that  if  the  Israelites  did  not  want  to 
serve  their  God  they  must  be  forced  to  do  so. 
Most  of  the  people  of  Israel  had  forgotten 
about  Jehovah  and  had  adopted  the  gods  of 
the  people  among  whom  they  lived.  These 
gods  were  harsh  and  cruel,  often  demanding, 
so  the  people  thought,  that  they  should  sacrifice 
their  sons  and  daughters  upon  altars  dedicated 
to  these  brutal  gods. 

You  may  wonder  why  parents  who  loved 
their  children  should  do  such  a  dreadful  thing 
as  to  burn  them  on  the  altar  of  any  god,  even 
though  the  god  did  demand  it.  But  fear 
always  makes  men  cruel  and  merciless,  and 
never  lets  them  stop  to  reason  about  anything. 
The  god  these  people  worshiped  was  the  god  of 
fear,  as  you  may  see  for  yourselves  if  you  read 
all  the  Bible  says  about  him. 


THE  ONLY  ONE  203 

The  blighting,  withering  heat  of  the  sun 
which  frequently  killed  their  crops,  their  cattle, 
and  sometimes  themselves,  the  worshipers  of 
Baal  thought  was  the  anger  of  their  god.  So 
to  coax  him  into  good  humor  they  offered  upon 
his  altars  the  best  they  had,  which  was  their 
children.  These  people  had  so  many  images  of 
their  gods  it  was  hard  to  keep  track  of  them. 
Tree  trunks,  bulls,  serpents,  turtles,  and  many 
other  natural  objects  they  believed  to  be  sacred. 
In  their  pockets,  strung  around  their  necks,  in 
the  temples,  and  by  the  roadside  were  idols  in 
great  number.  To  keep  their  gods  in  good 
humor  was  a  serious  task  and  really  made  them 
uneasy  all  the  time  wondering  if  their  god  was 
going  to  send  them  good  or  evil. 

You  know  how  you  feel  when  you  are  not 
sure  of  anything.  Suppose  you  never  knew 
when  you  went  to  school  whether  you  would 
find  it  closed  or  open.  How  much  time  would 
you  spend  studying  lessons  that  you  might  never 
have  a  chance  to  recite?  So  it  was  with  these 
people  of  long  ago — not  knowing  what  their 
god  was  going  to  do,  they  ceased  to  care  what  he 
did.  But  of  one  thing  they  were  sure — they 


204         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

knew  what  a  good  time  meant  and  they  were 
going  to  have  it. 

Do  you  wonder  Elijah  spoke  such  harsh  words 
to  King  Ahab?  Both  of  them  were  Israelites. 
Their  God  was  Jehovah,  who  was  very  differ- 
ent from  the  cruel  Baal.  Elijah's  father  had 
taught  him  that  Jehovah  was  invisible  but  that 
he  was  more  powerful  than  the  heathen  gods, 
because  real  power  is  always  unseen. 

You  don't  believe  it?  Tell  me  which  gives 
the  more  powerful  heat,  the  steam  you  do  not 
see  in  your  radiator  or  the  few  logs  or  coals  which 
lie  in  your  grate? 

Ahab,  the  Hebrew  king,  had  married  a 
heathen  wife,  and  he  and  all  Israel  had  gone 
over  to  the  worship  of  Baal's  many  images, 
although  every  Israelite  had  been  taught  that 
the  worship  of  idols  was  hateful  to  Jehovah. 
So  great  was  Jehovah  it  was  impossible  to  make 
an  image  big  enough  to  represent  Him. 

Justice  is  Thy  throne,  righteousness  is  Thy 
law,  truth  is  Thy  word.  Elijah  had  heard  this 
said  of  Jehovah  ever  since  he  had  first  squatted 
on  his  heels  or  sat  cross-legged  on  the  ground 
with  other  little  lads  as  they  gathered  around 


THE  ONLY  ONE  205 

their  teacher,  listening  as  he  read  or  talked  to 
them.  They  had  no  books  to  study  from,  but 
had  to  learn  by  heart  and  be  able  to  repeat 
exactly  what  the  teacher  taught  them.  They 
had  to  pay  close  attention  and  make  good  use 
of  their  ears,  you  see.  Every  child  in  Israel 
knew  that  Jehovah  was  unchangeable.  That 
is  why  they  could  always  trust  in  Him.  Moses 
had  told  them  what  Jehovah's  laws  were.  All 
they  had  to  do  was  to  obey  them.  Jehovah 
was  very  different  from  Baal,  whose  will  might 
be  one  thing  one  day  and  something  quite 
different  the  next. 

"That  made  it  easy  for  Israel,"  you  say. 
"If  they  knew  what  to  do  to  keep  out  of  trouble, 
of  course  they  never  had  any." 

Wait  before  you  say  that.  They  did  just 
as  many  people  do  to-day — walked  right  into 
the  trouble  they  knew  how  to  avoid,  and  this 
was  why  Elijah  was  angry  with  them.  But  he 
was  severe.  Evil  never  tempted  him  and  he 
could  not  understand  why  it  should  tempt 
others.  If  he  had  loved  the  people  a  little 
more  perhaps  he  would  have  understood  them 
better.  You  remember  the  New  Testament 


206         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

says,  "He  that  hateth  his  brother  is  in  the 
darkness  .  .  .  and  knoweth  not  whither  he 
goeth,  because  the  darkness  hath  blinded  his 
eyes."  So  our  poor,  fearless,  upright  Elijah, 
trying  earnestly  to  lead  his  people  back  to 
the  worship  of  Jehovah,  used  very  harsh  meas- 
ures with  them,  and  then  as  now  harsh 
measures  failed. 

Elijah  said  to  King  Ahab,  "As  Jehovah, 
the  God  of  Israel,  liveth,  before  whom  I  stand, 
there  shall  not  be  dew  nor  rain  these  years,  but 
according  to  my  word."  And  he  knew  when  he 
said  that  what  suffering  it  would  bring  to  Israel  — 
it  meant  famine.  How  different  are  the  words 
of  Jesus,  who  says  of  God,  "He  maketh  his  sun 
to  rise  on  the  evil  and  the  good,  and  sendeth 
rain  on  the  just  and  the  unjust."  Elijah 
thought  he  was  doing  right;  he  believed  that  it 
was  no  more  than  these  people  deserved,  to 
starve  and  die  if  they  would  not  serve  God. 
You  girls  and  boys  who  have  been  taught  that 
even  the  wild  animals  are  much  more  easily 
tamed  when  treated  kindly,  will  wonder  that 
Elijah  did  not  know  better  than  to  act  as 
he  did.  "Why,"  you  will  say,  "couldn't  he 


THE  ONLY  ONE  207 

see  he  was  only  making  the  people  more  angry 
and  more  afraid?" 

Stop  and  think  again  for  a  moment.  Did 
you  never  say,  when  someone  insisted  on  doing 
something  wrong  or  foolish,  "  Let  him  go;  serves 
him  right;  I  don't  care  if  he  does  get  hurt." 

Elijah,  courageous  himself,  despised  the  weak- 
ness and  timidity  of  Ahab.  He  forgot  that 
being  honest  and  doing  the  best  that  he  knew 
how  to  do  were  what  had  made  him  fearless, 
while  Ahab,  selfish,  cruel,  and  dishonest,  always 
had  something  to  run  away  from  and  of  course 
was  always  afraid.  Elijah  never  allowed  him- 
self to  be  influenced  by  evil  things  or  evil 
persons.  He  could  not  understand  how  anyone, 
especially  a  king,  could  be  like  a  piece  of  putty, 
made  into  any  shape — that  is,  made  to  do  any 
evil  thing  suggested  by  some  one  else.  Elijah 
forgot  that  he  trusted  in  the  God  of  Israel,  who 
was  his  strength,  but  that  Ahab,  following  the 
cruel  Baal,  could  not  be  strong  because  he  had 
nothing  to  lean  on.  But  Elijah  did  not  see  this, 
and  so  he  was  harsh. 

For  three  years  and  a  half  no  rain  fell. 
The  people,  the  crops,  and  the  cattle  suffered 


2o8        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

dreadfully,  and  Ahab  began  to  fear  that  even 
the  horses  and  mules  would  die.  Suddenly 
Elijah  appeared  before  him,  saying  that  the  king 
and  the  people  had  forsaken  Jehovah  and  thrown 
down  His  altars.  He  knew  that  in  times  of 
trouble  people  usually  turned  toward  God,  so 
he  came  now  and  asked  the  Israelites  if  they 
were  ready  to  rebuild  Jehovah's  altars.  I 
think  they  must  have  hesitated,  for  he  said, 
"How  long  go  ye  limping  between  the  two  sides? 
if  Jehovah  be  God,  follow  him;  but  if  Baal,  then 
follow  him."  The  people  did  not  answer  him. 
How  could  they?  Jehovah  and  his  kindness 
they  had  forgotten,  and  of  Baal  they  were  afraid. 

I  shall  give  these  people  a  chance,  thought 
Elijah.  The  four  hundred  and  fifty  prophets 
of  Baal  may  build  an  altar  on  Mount  Carmel, 
and  I  will  build  one,  for  "I,  even  I  only,  am 
left"  a  prophet  of  Jehovah. 

The  Israelites  and  the  prophets  of  Baal  were 
soon  building  their  altars  and  getting  the  sacri- 
fice—  a  bullock — ready.  Have  you  ever  seen 
an  Indian  war  dance?  If  you  have,  you  can 
form  some  idea  of  how  Baal's  prophets  danced 
and  shrieked  and  cut  themselves  with  sharp 


THE  ONLY  ONE  209 

stones  and  knives  as  they  called  upon  Baal  to 
answer  them.  All  day  long  these  poor  creatures 
cried  to  their  god  and  he  did  not  answer.  Elijah 
made  some  taunting  remarks  to  them  about 
their  god's  silence.  I  am  sorry  he  did  so,  for 
his  words  did  not  help  anyone.  He  seemed 
to  be  adding  all  the  time  to  the  hatred  he  was 
trying  to  cure. 

Elijah  had  made  a  bargain  with  Israel  and 
the  prophets  of  Baal.  His  bargain  was  that 
the  god  who  answered  by  fire  and  consumed  the 
sacrifice  was  to  be  acknowledged  the  true  God. 

When  evening  came,  and  the  tall  rocks  were 
casting  long  shadows  on  the  ground,  Baal's 
prophets  were  worn  out  with  their  useless  scream- 
ing and  calling  upon  him.  Elijah  then  stepped 
to  the  altar  he  had  built  with  twelve  stones, 
each  stone  meaning  one  of  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel,  and  ordered  that  it  be  drenched  with 
water.  Is  he  crazy,  they  thought.  Is  it  possi- 
ble he  expects  to  be  answered  with  fire?  Why, 
that  altar  as  well  as  every  bit  of  wood  on  it  is 
dripping  wet!  But  Elijah  was  wiser  than  all  of 
them,  and  understood  invisible  forces  that  these 
weak  and  ignorant  people  never  dreamed  of. 


210        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

He  called  upon  Jehovah,  and  the  fire  fell  and 
"licked  up,"  as  the  Bible  tells  us,  the  wood,  the 
bullock,  the  stones,  and  even  the  dust  around 
the  altar.  The  people  were  now  thoroughly 
frightened,  for  we  are  told  that  "when  all  the 
people  saw  it,  they  fell  on  their  faces;  and 
they  said,  'Jehovah,  he  is  God;  Jehovah,  he  is 
God."' 

But  hardly  had  they  gone  dowft  the  moun- 
tain side  before  they  were  again  worshiping  Baal. 
They  had  answered  in  fear,  and  nothing  done  in 
fear  lasts.  It  is  love  that  is  the  fulfilling  of  the 
law,  and  this  Elijah  had  yet  to  learn. 

Elijah  in  his  zeal  had  forgotten  the  command- 
ment, "Thou  shalt  not  take  the  name  of  Jehovah 
thy  God  in  vain,"  and  had  made  his  people  and 
the  heathen  priests  see  God  as  a  destroying 
power — that  same  God  of  whom  David  had 
sung  in  his  songs  as  being  full  of  mercy  and 
loving-kindness.  Of  course  God  could  not  be 
both  a  God  of  love  and  a  God  of  vengeance ;  this 
also  Elijah  learned  when  he  was  alone  on  Mount 
Horeb.  Even  the  poor,  ignorant  prophets  of 
Baal,  after  he  had  conquered  them,  he  took 
down  to  the  brook  Kishon  and  slew.  Very 


THE  ONLY  ONE  211 

different,  was  it  not,  from  the  way  Elisha 
treated  the  Syrian  host  he  made  captive? 

Jezebel,  the  wicked  queen  and  wife  of  Ahab, 
as  soon  as  she  learned  of  Elijah's  victory,  sent 
a  messenger  telling  him  that  just  as  he  had 
treated  Baal's  prophets  so  should  she  treat  him. 

He  was  greatly  discouraged.  Why,  he 
thought,  when  I  have  shown  my  people  that 
Jehovah  is  stronger  than  Baal,  and  my  prayers 
have  given  them  the  needed  rain,  do  they  now 
seek  my  life? 

In  order  to  escape  Jezebel's  anger  he  traveled 
forty  days'  journey  to  "Horeb  the  mount  of 
God,"  and  lodged  there  in  a  cave.  He  knew 
there  must  be  something  wrong  for  he  was  not 
getting  good  results.  In  order  to  save  his  people 
and  to  serve  Jehovah  he  had  endangered  his 
life.  Instead  of  feeling  grateful  the  people  evi- 
dently were  more  than  ever  afraid  of  him,  and 
thought  with  Jezebel  that  he  was  an  enemy 
instead  of  a  friend  of  Israel. 

What  was  the  reason?  Elijah  began  to 
think  the  fault  might  not  all  have  been  Israel's. 
Perhaps  he  had  not  done  exactly  right  himself. 
He  was  so  sincere  in  his  love  for  Jehovah  that  he 


2i2         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

was  ready  to  acknowledge  his  own  mistakes. 
Besides,  there  was  something  encouraging  in 
the  fact  that  no  one,  not  even  Jezebel,  could 
prevent  him  from  correcting  his  own  faults. 

Safe  from  the  hatred  of  the  queen,  and  rested 
from  his  journey,  he  heard  God's  voice  asking 
him,  "What  doest  thou  here,  Elijah?"  And 
very  bitterly  he  replied,  "I  have  been  very 
jealous  for  Jehovah,  the  God  of  hosts;  for  the 
children  of  Israel  have  forsaken  thy  covenant, 
thrown  down  thine  altars,  and  slain  thy  prophets 
with  the  sword:  and  I,  even  I  only,  am  left; 
and  they  seek  my  life,  to  take  it  away." 

He  was  told  to  hide  no  longer  in  the  cave, 
but  to  go  out  and  stand  ' '  upon  the  mount  before 
Jehovah."  Then  there  came  a  violent  wind, 
crushing  the  rocks  and  tearing  the  mountains; 
and  after  that  an  earthquake  that  destroyed 
even  more  than  the  wind,  and  finally  a  fire  that 
devoured  all  in  its  path.  But  Elijah  did  not 
see  God  in  any  of  these  things — wind,  earth- 
quake, fire — and  yet  he  had  expected  other 
people  to  see  God  in  violence ! 

Then  what  do  you  think  he  did  ?  He  covered 
his  face.  Why?  Because  there  came  to  him 


THE  ONLY  ONE  213 

"a  still  small  voice,"  and  God  was  in  this 
quietness. 

Do  you  not  recall  some  time  when  the  fall 
of  a  leaf,  or  the  rattle  of  a  shutter,  or  even  your 
own  thoughts  made  you  uneasy,  because  in  the 
stillness  you  remembered  mistakes  you  had 
made  or  a  wrong  you  had  done?  It  is  at  such 
times  that  the  ''still  small  voice"  sounds  louder 
than  any  noisy  faultfinding  ever  does. 

Elijah  was  fast  learning,  when  he  sat  down 
to  think,  that  if  he  could  hear  God  better  in 
quietness,  other  people  also  could  hear  him 
better.  What  had  he  done?  He  had  been 
harsh  and  unmerciful.  Now  he  knew  this  was 
not  the  way  to  serve  God.  He  had  made  the 
people  fear  more  instead  of  less,  and  had  killed 
the  helpless  prophets  of  Baal. 

Again  the  voice  came  to  him,  saying,  "What 
doest  thou  here,  Elijah?"  And  again  Elijah 
made  the  same  reply,  that  Israel  had  broken 
down  Jehovah's  altars  and  that  he  was  the  only 
one  left  who  trusted  in  Jehovah. 

Poor  Elijah !  Like  discouraged  people  to-day 
who  think  they  are  the  only  ones  interested  in 
a  good  work,  and  if  it  were  not  for  them  the 


214        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

work  could  not  go  on,  he  felt  that  it  was  too  hard 
for  him  alone.  Imagine  his  surprise  when  the 
voice  told  him  that  there  were  yet  seven 
thousand  in  Israel  who  had  not  followed  Baal 
and  were  still  worshiping  Jehovah.  Where  had 
his  eyes  been  that  he  had  not  seen  these  seven 
thousand  still  faithful  to  Jehovah?  Perhaps 
each  one  of  them,  as  well  as  Elijah,  was  thinking 
that  only  he  was  faithful  to  Jehovah's  law  and 
performing  God's  work  as  it  should  be  done. 

Elijah's  eyes  were  where  every  discouraged 
person's  eyes  are,  on  himself  with  a  good  deal 
of  self-pity.  But  he  was  beginning  to  see  how 
alike  all  people  are,  and  how  even  the  most 
earnest  and  sincere  can  make  serious  mistakes. 
This  made  him  more  kindly  and  able  to  see  why 
other  people  acted  as  they  did.  Light  was  com- 
ing to  him — the  light  that  one  of  the  apostles 
of  Jesus  said  if  men  would  walk  in,  they  should 
have  "fellowship  one  with  another." 

This  fellowship  Elijah  was  beginning  to  feel 
when  the  voice  told  him  that  not  only  were 
there  others  in  Israel  beside  himself  who  wor- 
shiped Jehovah,  but  that  there  was  also  a 
prophet  ready  to  take  his  place.  Comforted  and 


THE  ONLY  ONE  215 

strengthened,  he  came  down  from  the  mount 
and  anointed  Elisha,  whom  he  had  been  told  to 
anoint  "to  be  prophet  in  thy  room." 

In  the  succeeding  years,  while  these  two 
worked  together,  I  am  sure  that  Elijah  often 
told  the  younger  prophet  what  he  had  learned 
that  night  alone  on  Horeb,  for  Elisha  was  sel- 
dom stern  or  harsh,  but  instead  was  gentle  and 
kind.  Elijah  wanted  his  people  to  understand 
that  Jehovah  punished  evil;  Elisha  was  busy 
showing  them  that  God  rewarded  good. 

Earthquake,  fire,  whirlwind,  fiery  chariots, 
fierce  rebukes,  and  awful  vengeance  surrounded 
Elijah.  He  was  righteous,  moral,  true,  and 
fearless,  but  he  had  to  learn  "the  one  thing 
needful" — that  the  God  who  is  love  can  be 
served  only  by  loving. 


WHAT    HAVE    YOU    IN 
THE    HOUSE? 

THE   POT   OF   OIL 

She  was  very  poor,  and  worse  still,  she  was 
in  debt.  All  she  had  was  her  two  sons,  and  her 
creditor  had  told  her  that  unless  she  paid  her 
debts  he  would  take  her  boys  away  from  her  and 
make  bondmen  of  them.  But  she  had  nothing. 
What  should  she  do  in  order  to  pay  the  money 
to  her  creditor  and  save  her  sons?  Like  all 
mothers,  she  did  not  want  to  lose  her  children. 
It  was  hard,  bitterly  hard,  to  have  them  leave 
her;  but,  what  would  make  it  worse,  they  were 
going  away  as  bondmen  and  probably  would 
not  be  treated  kindly  and  would  be  unhappy. 

The  poor  mother  was  a  Hebrew,  and  the 
laws  of  her  country  forbade  one  Hebrew  making 
a  bondservant  of  another.  So  if  her  creditor 
were  a  Hebrew  he  would  be  acting  against  the 
laws  of  his  country  in  making  bondservants  of 
her  sons,  and  she  knew  that  people  who  break 
laws  of  kindness — such  as  this  law  was  intended 
to  be — were  not  likely  to  be  careful  of  their 

216 


WHAT  HAVE  YOU  IN  THE  HOUSE?       217 

bondmen.  If  her  creditor  were  a  rich  foreigner, 
who  knew  nothing  of  Israel  or  of  Israel's  laws,  the 
boys  might  not  only  be  neglected  or  abused,  but 
they  would  be  taught  to  worship  idols  of  wood  or 
clay  as  gods,  and  never  be  taught  the  power  of 
Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel.  She  was  a  widow. 
Her  husband  had  been  a  student,  perhaps  a 
teacher  in  one  of  the  schools  of  the  prophets. 
He  had  loved  Jehovah  and  had  lived  in  such  a 
manner  that  the  people  respected  and  had  con- 
fidence in  him.  What  a  pity  that  two  boys 
brought  up  as  his  sons  had  been,  should  be  sold 
for  debt  and  really  made  slaves ! 

Would  you  like  to  know  what  these  schools  of 
the  prophets  were,  and  what  it  meant  to  be  one 
of  the  "sons  of  the  prophets"?  If  you  have 
read  the  story  of  Samuel,  you  know  he  became 
a  great  prophet  and  founded  schools  where  chil- 
dren could  be  taught  about  Jehovah  and  His 
laws.  These  schools  were  something  like  our 
theological  seminaries  where  pupils  study  for 
the  ministry.  The  word  "son"  in  Hebrew 
meant  any  kind  of  relationship  or  likeness. 
For  instance,  "a  son  of  Belial"  was  not  a  son 
of  a  person  so  named,  but  meant  a  worthless, 


2i8        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

good-for-nothing  fellow,  as  "Belial"  means 
uselessness,  worthlessness.  So  a  "son"  of  the 
prophets  was  a  member  of  the  school  or  order 
of  the  prophets,  as  your  father,  perhaps,  is  a 
member  of  a  masonic  order. 

This  sad  mother  about  to  lose  her  two  chil- 
dren and  wondering  what  she  could  do  to  save 
them,  finally  thought  of  Elisha,  the  prophet. 
She  had  been  taught  the  sacred  books  of  the 
law,  for  girls  as  well  as  boys  learned  Israel's 
history,  and  how  Jehovah  had  always  cared  for 
His  people.  She  remembered  a  song  that  King 
David  used  to  sing  and  that  he  had  set  to  music 
so  that  it  could  be  sung  by  the  temple  choruses. 
It  was  such  a  comforting  song,  and  often  at 
night  she  with  her  husband  and  the  boys  had 
used  it  for  their  evening  prayer.  One  of  the 
verses  kept  coming  over  and  over  again  into  her 
mind,  "Who  will  show  us  any  good?"  until 
she  thought,  Jehovah  is  our  God  and  Elisha  is 
His  prophet;  Elisha  knew  my  husband  and  he 
will  show  me  if  there  is  any  good. 

The  two  boys  also  were  very  anxious.  They 
were  not  afraid  of  the  work  they  would  have  to 
do  as  bondmen,  for  every  Jewish  boy  was  taught 


WHAT  HAVE  YOU  IN  THE  HOUSE?       219 

to  work  so  that  he  could  care  for  himself  and 
help  his  parents  if  they  needed  it.  No,  it  was 
not  the  work ;  but  they  were  free  born,  and  slav- 
ery was  hateful  to  every  son  and  daughter  of 
Israel.  Besides,  their  mother  needed  them,  and 
they  knew  their  father  had  expected  them  always 
to  care  for  her.  Sold  for  debt  and  taken  from 
her,  how  could  they  be  any  help  to  her? 

It  was  a  sorrowful  supper  mother  and  sons 
ate  together  that  last  evening.  Big  boys  as 
they  were,  when  they  rose  to  repeat  the  psalm 
of  David  for  their  evening  prayer,  they  could 
not  be  blamed  if  their  voices  choked  as  they 
uttered  the  words,  "Many  there  are  that  say, 
who  will  show  us  any  good?"  But  a  tired, 
healthy  boy  falls  asleep  easily,  and  these  two 
lads  speedily  forgot  their  dread  of  to-morrow. 

With  the  mother  it  was  different.  She  was 
determined  she  would  not  lose  her  children. 
Elisha  was  not  far  away,  and  there  was  a  whole 
night  between  to-day  and  to-morrow.  Perhaps 
in  that  time  something  could  be  done  to  save 
her  boys.  She  left  them  sleeping  and  hurried 
to  Elisha,  who  always  was  kind  and  usually 
found  ways  of  helping  people  who  called  upon 


220        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

him.  Elisha  listened.  He  was  a  busy  man, 
but  it  was  God's  business,  not  his  own,  that 
he  was  interested  in,  and  he  knew  that  God's 
business  was  helping  people,  especially  the 
" widow  and  the  fatherless." 

"What  shall  I  do  for  thee?"  had  been  the 
cheery  greeting  of  Elisha  to  her,  and  as  soon 
as  she  had  finished  her  story  he  asked  her, 
"What  hast  thou  in  the  house?" 

Some  of  you  boys  and  girls  are  thinking  that 
a  very  foolish  question  to  ask  when  the  widow 
had  just  told  him  she  had  nothing.  But  Elisha 
had  not  sympathized  with  and  helped  people 
for  years  without  learning  the  best  way  to  help 
them.  He  knew  this  mother  had  made  herself 
so  miserable  for  fear  she  would  have  to  part  with 
her  two  sons  that  she  could  think  of  nothing 
else ;  that  probably  in  her  grief  she  had  forgotten 
she  had  some  things  which  she  could  use  to 
relieve  her  trouble. 

She  must  have  something.  The  widow  of 
one  of  "the  sons  of  the  prophets,"  and  one  who 
was  as  highly  esteemed  as  her  husband  had  been, 
surely  could  not  have  left  his  family  without 
anything.  Elisha  was  the  best  kind  of  a  friend, 


WHAT  HAVE  YOU  IN  THE  HOUSE?       221 

for  he  knew  the  only  good  way  to  help  others 
was  to  show  them  how  to  help  themselves.  So 
instead  of  saying,  "What  can  I  give  you?"  he 
said,  "What  hast  thou  in  the  house?" 

Her  heart  must  have  grown  lighter  as  she 
told  her  story,  and  she  was  able  to  remember 
one  good  thing  she  had  in  her  house,  for  she 
answered  Elisha's  question  with  the  words, 
"Thy  handmaid  hath  not  anything  in  the 
house,  save  a  pot  of  oil." 

Just  think  of  it,  nothing  but  oil  and  an  abun- 
dance of  it!  Oil  was  not  only  a  necessity  but 
one  of  the  greatest  luxuries  of  her  country  and 
of  the  people  around  her. 

"She  had  only  a  pot  of  it,"  you  may  say, 
"and  that  is  not  much." 

Yes,  but  the  word  translated  "pot"  means 
in  the  Hebrew  a  great  many  sizes  of  dishes  for 
liquids.  It  may  mean  a  cask,  a  keg,  a  barrel, 
or  even  a  vat.  We  know  that  the  widow  must 
have  had  a  large  quantity  or  Elisha  would  not 
have  given  her  the  advice  which  he  did. 

Oil  had  many  uses  among  these  oriental 
people  of  whom  the  Hebrews  were  a  part.  They 
cooked  with  it;  they  used  it  for  their  bath  and 


222        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

toilet.  It  was  used  for  medicine  and  at  funer- 
als, in  their  religious  services  and  daily  sacrifices. 
Kings,  priests,  prophets,  were  anointed  with 
it.  Even  in  war  it  served  a  purpose,  as  leather 
and  metal  shields  were  rubbed  and  polished  with 
it,  and  wounds  and  bruises  were  washed  in  it. 
Hosts  anointed  with  oil  the  heads  of  guests  who 
were  especially  honored.  On  hot  days  people 
rubbed  themselves  with  it  to  make  them  cool, 
and,  if  they  were  cold,  an  oil  rub  made  them 
warm. 

Above  all,  the  people  needed  it  for  light. 
In  those  days  after  the  sun  went  down,  no  oil 
meant  no  light.  As  you  can  see,  oil  was  used 
for  so  many  different  things  that  one  was  very 
fortunate  to  have  plenty  of  it.  So  our  poor 
widow  all  this  time  was  rich  and  did  not  know 
it.  And  this  was  the  good  thing  that  Elisha 
showed  her. 

You  say  she  was  foclish  not  to  have  thought 
of  it  herself?  Perhaps  she  had  remembered  it 
but  did  not  know  how  to  use  it,  or  if  she  did 
know  how,  perhaps  she  was  afraid  to  do  so,  and 
it  needed  Elisha' s  kindly  encouragement  to  set 
her  to  work. 


WHAT  HAVE  YOU  IN  THE  HOUSE?        223 

Haven't  we  all  "a  pot  of  oil"  that  we  might 
use  if  we  worked  as  hard  looking  for  good  as  we 
do  looking  for  evil?  This  sad  mother  afraid  of 
losing  her  two  boys  is  not  the  only  one  who  for- 
gets his  "pot  of  oil." 

Fortunately  there  are  people  who  see  their 
"pot  of  oil"  and  use  it — Abraham  Lincoln,  for 
instance,  who  loved  to  study  but  could  not 
afford  to  buy  books.  Some  forty  miles  from  his 
home  lived  a  person  who  owned  the  book  he 
needed,  and  he  walked  eighty  miles  to  borrow 
it — all  the  way  to  the  man's  house  and  back. 
I  have  no  doubt  he  gave  thanks  that  he  was  able 
to  go  for  the  book.  Walking  was  his  "pot  of 
oil,"  and  he  used  it. 

Michael  Angelo  longed  for  greater  oppor- 
tunities to  study  art,  and  was  much  encouraged 
because  he  had  a  "pot  of  oil "  which  he  could  use. 

"What  was  the  'pot  of  oil'?"  you  ask. 

He  carried  mortar  up  long  ladders  in  order 
to  watch  the  frescoers  and  learn  some  of  their 
ideas. 

A  girl  wished  to  study  music,  but  had  no 
money  and  no  piano.  Was  she  discouraged? 
Not  a  bit  of  it.  Her  "pot  of  oil"  was  working 


224        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

short  hours  in  a  department  store  and  taking 
lessons  and  practicing  at  night,  and  now  she 
teaches  in  a  large  musical  conservatory. 

You  ask  me,  ' '  When  the  widow  remembered 
her  oil,  how  did  Elisha  tell  her  to  use  it?" 

He  told  her  to  borrow  vessels  and  kettles 
from  her  neighbors  and  to  borrow  plenty  of 
them — not  to  be  satisfied  with  only  a  few.  She 
had  enough  oil  for  many  bowls  or  flagons,  and  he 
wanted  her  to  keep  thinking  of  the  dishes  that 
were  to  be  filled  from  her  cask,  instead  of  look- 
ing all  the  time  at  the  barrel,  wondering  how 
long  the  oil  was  going  to  last  and  worrying  for 
fear  she  might  not  have  enough. 

All  the  borrowed  jars  were  to  be  filled;  not 
one  was  to  be  left  empty.  For  Elisha  had  said, 
"And  thou  shalt  go  in,  and  shut  the  door  upon 
thee  and  upon  thy  sons,  and  pour  out  into  all 
those  vessels;  and  thou  shalt  set  aside  that 
which  is  full." 

A  glad-hearted  mother  hurried  home  from 
Elisha  and  told  the  two  boys  the  prophet  had 
shown  her  how  they  could  help  themselves  out 
of  their  trouble.  As  soon  as  she  could  get  the 
oil  ready  for  the  people  they  would  want  to  buy 


WHAT  HAVE  YOU  IN  THE  HOUSE?       225 

it,  and  probably  what  her  good  friend  Elisha 
would  advise  her  to  do  was  to  sell  it. 

Two  happy  lads  went  out  among  the  neigh- 
bors and  borrowed  vases,  jars,  bottles — any- 
thing that  would  hold  oil.  Then,  shutting  the 
door  so  they  would  not  be  disturbed,  the  mother 
and  the  boys  began  to  pour  their  oil  into  the 
borrowed  dishes.  How  they  must  have  hur- 
ried, and  watched,  as  jar  after  jar  was  filled  and 
set  aside.  Not  a  drop  of  the  precious  oil  must 
be  lost — that  oil  which  the  widow  only  a  few 
hours  before  had  called  "nothing." 

She  was  so  busy  and  interested  in  her  work, 
constantly  calling  for  more  dishes,  that  when 
one  of  her  sons  told  her  all  were  filled  and  there 
was  still  plenty  of  oil  left  in  her  cask,  she  was 
much  astonished. 

Back  she  went  to  Elisha.  She  had  used  her 
oil  and  had  plenty  left.  What  would  he  tell 
her  to  do  with  the  oil?  Sell  it,  of  course.  She 
did  not  need  it  all,  and  her  neighbors  did  need 
all  that  she  could  spare. 

By  this  time  some  of  you  have  guessed  what 
Elisha  meant  when  he  told  her  to  borrow 
empty  vessels  of  her  neighbors  and  to  sell  them 


226        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

the  oil.  Look  at  people  and  see  what  they  need. 
You  may  have  what  will  fill  those  needs.  The 
empty  vessels  are  our  neighbors'  needs,  and  our 
oil  is  whatever  we  have  that  will  fill  them. 

"Go, "  said  Elisha,  "sell  the  oil,  and  pay  thy 
debt,  and  live  thou  and  thy  sons  of  the  rest." 

When  home  again,  she  and  her  sons  must 
have  set  the  dishes  filled  with  the  oil  where  the 
creditor  could  see  them  the  very  first  thing  when 
he  came  to  carry  the  boys  away  to  be  bondmen. 
The  creditor  knew  the  value  of  oil,  and  when  he 
looked  at  the  rich  display  belonging  to  the 
widow  he  would  know  that  her  debt  would  soon 
be  paid  and  he  need  not  disturb  either  her  or  her 
children  further. 

The  next  night  when  they  repeated  again 
David's  hymn  for  their  evening  prayer,  they 
must  have  added  the  words  of  another  of  his 
songs : 

"Thou  preparest  a  table  before  me 
in  the  presence  of  mine  enemies : 

Thou  hast  anointed  my  head  with 
oil; 

My  cup  runneth  over." 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF 
JORDAN  ? 

HEALING  OF  NAAMAN  THE  LEPER 

She  was  a  lonely  little  girl  as  she  stood  in  the 
garden  in  Damascus.  Fruits  and  flowers  were 
all  about  her  in  abundance,  the  house  was  beau- 
tiful, the  people  kind,  but  her  young  face  was 
sad.  The  juicy  apricot  in  her  hand  was  untasted 
as  she  threw  it  from  her  toward  some  little  birds 
hungrily  eying  the  heavily  loaded  fruit  trees. 
Two  great  tears  ran  down  her  cheeks,  and  then 
a  burst  of  sobs  told  all  who  heard  that  her  heart 
was  aching  with  homesickness.  A  woman  came 
toward  her  and  gently  patted  her  on  the  shoulder, 
saying,  "Esther,  why  do  you  always  come  to 
the  south  side  of  the  garden  when  it  makes  you 
so  sad?" 

"Over  there  in  the  south  is  my  home," 
replied  the  child.  "There  are  my  mother  and 
father,  my  brothers  and  sisters." 

Poor  child!  She  was  a  little  captive  maid 
stolen  from  her  home  in  Israel  by  a  band  of 
Syrians  and  brought  by  them  to  wait  upon  the 

227 


228        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

wife  of  Naaman,  the  great  captain  of  Syria's 
army.  Both  her  master  and  mistress  were  kind. 
In  their  home  Esther  had  more  comforts  than 
she  had  ever  enjoyed  in  Israel,  but  it  was  not 
home,  and  that  makes  the  greatest  difference 
to  all  of  us. 

Her  mistress  also  had  been  sad  that  day 
because  not  all  the  wealth  and  honor  Naaman 
had  received  from  the  Syrian  king,  not  all  the 
victories  he  had  won,  had  been  able  to  make 
either  him  or  his  wife  happy. 

"How  can  people  who  have  everything  be 
miserable?"  you  ask. 

Easily.  Persons  who  have  the  most  are 
often  unable  to  use  what  they  have.  A  tour- 
ing car  without  gasoline  would  n't  give  you  any 
pleasure.  Just  owning  it  and  seeing  it  stand  in 
a  garage  would  at  last  grow  tiresome,  would 
it  not? 

So  it  was  with  Naaman.  All  he  had  could 
not  give  him  pleasure.  He  was  envied  by  no 
one,  his  wealth  and  honor  no  one  coveted 
because  he  suffered  with  a  loathsome  disease, 
leprosy.  Why,  the  poorest  beggar  in  the  streets 
would  not  have  changed  places  with  him! 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         229 

The  little  girl  in  the  garden  saw  the  grief  in 
the  face  of  her  mistress  and  knew  the  reason, 
for  she  again  turned  her  face  southward,  but 
this  time  with  a  smile,  saying,  "Would  that 
my  lord  were  with  the  prophet  that  is  in 
Samaria!  then  would  he  recover  him  of  his 
leprosy." 

A  wise  and  loving  wish,  little  maid.  You 
desire  the  good  of  those  who  hold  you  captive, 
and  because  of  it  God  will  bless  both  them  and 
you. 

As  soon  as  Naaman  heard  that  he  could  be 
healed  he  made  ready  at  once  to  start  on  a  jour- 
ney to  the  land  of  Israel.  The  king  of  Syria 
was  as  anxious  as  Naaman' s  family  that  he 
should  be  healed,  for  Naaman  had  been  faith- 
ful to  every  trust  and  served  his  king  and  coun- 
try well — so  well  that  he  had  been  called  the 
deliverer  of  Syria.  No  one  in  Syria  knew  any- 
thing about  prophets,  but  it  was  a  superstition 
among  many  of  the  people  that  to  touch  the 
garment  of  a  king  frequently  healed  the  sick. 
So  the  king  of  Syria  wrote  a  letter  to  the  king 
of  Israel  asking  him  to  heal  Naaman  of  his 
leprosy.  Then  he  loaded  the  camels  and 


230        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

burden-bearers,  chariots  and  horsemen,  with 
costly  gifts  for  Israel's  king.  Silver  and  gold  and 
ten  changes  of  raiment  they  were  to  carry  with 
them  to  the  king  who  was  supposed  to  be  able 
to  cure  leprosy.  We  may  know  how  anxiously 
the  king  of  Syria  desired  Naaman's  health 
because  the  gold  and  silver  he  sent  into  Israel 
with  Naaman  would  be  over  thirty  thousand 
of  our  dollars. 

Some  of  you  girls  and  boys  are  laughing,  and 
I  know  why.  You  are  thinking  of  the  time  Saul 
and  his  servant  wanted  a  favor  of  Samuel  and 
thought  a  quarter  of  a  silver  shekel  was  quite 
enough  to  pay  for  it.  Only  eighteen  cents,  you 
are  thinking,  was  all  that  Saul  valued  a  prophet 
of  his  country.  And  here  are  these  Syrian 
strangers  wanting  a  favor,  not  for  themselves, 
but  for  a  loved  commander  of  their  army,  freely 
offering  a  great  gift  for  it. 

Soon  Naaman  and  his  company  arrived  at 
the  court  of  the  king  of  Israel  and  delivered  to 
him  the  letter  from  the  king  of  Syria.  Was  the 
king  of  Israel's  heart  glad  that  this  great  man 
had  come  to  his  kingdom  for  healing?  Not  at 
all.  Instead,  he  was  badly  frightened.  He  had 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         231 

forgotten  all  about  Elisha,  or  perhaps  he  had 
never  heard  of  him.  Odd,  you  say,  that  the 
king  should  not  know  of  so  wonderful  a  prophet. 
Perhaps  it  was  because  he  was  king  that  he  did 
not  know.  Kings  are  so  interested  in  wars  and 
conquests  that  they  do  not  think  of  such  simple 
things  as  mercy  and  healing. 

When  the  king  of  Israel  read  the  letter,  he 
cried,  "Am  I  God,  to  kill  and  to  make  alive, 
that  this  man  doth  send  unto  me  to  recover  a 
man  of  his  leprosy?"  Not  a  member  of  his 
court  could  answer  him  as  they  all  stood  dis- 
mayed before  their  visitors.  They  cast  fright- 
ened glances  at  one  another,  and  the  king  in  his 
grief  rent  his  garments,  declaring  that  this  letter 
from  the  king  of  Syria,  was  only  meant  to  pro- 
voke a  quarrel  with  him.  There  they  stood, 
Naaman  bitterly  disappointed  to  think  he  had 
been  so  foolish  as  to  listen  to  the  tales  of  a  little 
homesick  maid,  and  the  king  of  Israel  ignorant 
that  any  healing  power  was  in  his  kingdom. 
But  when  we  most  need  help  it  always  comes, 
and  so  it  did  then,  for  a  message  came  to  the 
king  from  Elisha,  saying,  "Wherefore  hast 
thou  rent  thy  clothes?  let  him  come  now  to  me, 

16 


232        QLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

and  he  shall  know  that  there  is  a  prophet  in 
Israel." 

How  relieved  the  king  must  have  been  as  he 
watched  Naaman  with  his  servants,  his  horses, 
and  chariots  turn  away  and  go  toward  Elisha's 
house.  Naaman  was  a  great  man.  He  had 
won  high  military  honors,  and  everywhere  he 
went  he  was  received  with  much  ceremony.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  people  shouting  and  cheering 
lined  every  street  through  which  he  passed, 
while  martial  music  sounded  before  and  after 
his  chariots  and  horsemen  on  the  march.  Yet 
when  he  came  to  Elisha's  house  all  was  quiet. 
There  was  no  one  waiting  to  welcome  him. 
Only  a  messenger  standing  in  the  doorway  met 
the  famous  warrior.  He  was  astonished.  What 
could  this  young  and  simple  fellow  do  for  him? 
His  journey  to  Israel,  his  royal  gifts  that  he  had 
brought  with  him,  were  evidently  nothing  to  the 
prophet  nor  to  his  messenger.  Why,  he  was 
being  received  with  no  more  honor  than  would 
have  been  given  the  little  maid  had  she  stood 
before  Elisha's  door!  Perhaps  Elisha  was  not 
a  respecter  of  persons.  He  may  have  thought 
that  a  sick  person,  big  or  little,  great  or  simple, 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         233 

only  wanted  to  be  healed,  .and  that  was  the  one 
thing  to  do  for  them.  What  was  the  glory  of 
a  great  name  if  one  was  suffering?  Fame  didn't 
seem  to  heal  one.  So  Elisha  sent  by  his  messen- 
ger a  simple  message  to  Naaman.  It  was  that 
he  should  go  to  the  Jordan  and  bathe  seven  times 
in  the  river. 

Why  the  waters  of  Jordan — that  muddy, 
rushing  stream?  Are  not  the  rivers  of  my  coun- 
try much  better  and  clearer?  thought  Naaman. 
And  so  he  said  to  his  men,  "Are  not  Abanah 
and  Pharpar,  the  rivers  of  Damascus,  better 
than  all  the  waters  of  Israel?" 

Imagine  your  feelings  if  you  were  told  to 
swim  in  a  muddy  stream  so  shallow  in  parts 
that  you  could  wade  in  it — and  that,  too,  when 
nearer  to  your  home  was  a  deep  pool  of  crystal 
water.  The  Jordan  was  not  important,  but 
the  rivers  of  Damascus  were,  and  moreover  were 
beautiful  and  full  of  refreshingly  clear  water. 
If  it  was  water  he  needed,  surely,  thought 
Naaman,  that  of  the  rivers  of  Damascus  would 
be  far  better. 

So  Naaman  "turned  and  went  away  in  a 
rage."  His  time  had  been  wasted;  his  journey 


234         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

had  been  in  vain.  He  might  better  have 
stayed  at  home  and  not  listened  to  the  foolish 
prattle  of  his  captive  maid.  These  must  have 
been  his  thoughts  as  with  angry  eyes  and  frown- 
ing face  he  began  the  journey  back  to  Syria. 
But  his  officers  loved  him.  He  had  dealt  kindly 
with  them,  and  their  hearts  ached  with  his  over 
his  disappointment.  So  some  of  them  came  to 
him  and  said,  "My  father,  if  the  prophet  had 
bid  thee  do  some  great  thing,  wouldest  thou  not 
have  done  it?  how  much  rather  then,  when  he 
saith  to  thee,  Wash,  and  be  clean?" 

That  was  it  exactly.  He  was  angry,  as  we 
all  are,  over  what  we  think  is  too  small  a  thing 
for  people  of  our  importance  to  do.  To  be  told 
to  bathe  was  shocking  to  a  man  familiar  as  he 
was  with  the  baths  and  water  supply  of  his 
home  city.  But  Naaman  wanted  to  be  healed. 
The  foul  leprosy  was  eating  into  his  flesh,  and 
unless  it  was  speedily  cured  he  soon  would  be 
an  object  of  disgust  even  to  those  who  loved 
him  best.  Elisha's  advice  was  at  least  worth 
a  trial,  so,  wise  man  that  he  was,  he  laid  aside 
his  pride  and  listened  to  the  words  of  his 
servants. 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         235 

By  the  side  of  the  Jordan  the  little  band 
halted — all  eager  to  see  fulfilled  the  prophet's 
promise:  "Thy  flesh  shall  come  again  to  thee, 
and  thou  shalt  be  clean."  Seven  times  did  he 
go  down  under  the  waters,  his  attendants 
breathlessly  watching  as  he  arose  each  time 
to  the  surface.  One — two — three — four — • 
five — six,  they  counted,  until,  as  Naaman 
paused  for  the  seventh  plunge,  they  seemed 
almost  to  touch  him  in  their  eagerness.  He 
disappeared,  then  rose  and  stepped  out  upon 
the  banks,  his  face  radiant  with  thanksgiving, 
for  there  stood  before  his  soldiers  their  com- 
mander sound  and  whole.  Not  a  blemish  was 
upon  his  flesh;  the  leprosy  was  healed. 

How  fast  he  must  have  traveled  home  and 
told  the  good  news  to  his  wife,  and  to  his  king 
who  had  so  kindly  sent  him  to  Israel!  You 
may  be  thinking  so,  and  it  is  what  many  people 
would  have  done.  But  not  so  Naaman  and  his 
followers.  He  had  received  a  blessing  and  was 
thankful.  The  king  of  Israel  had  forgotten  the 
prophet  in  his  midst,  but  not  so  this  stranger. 
Naaman  felt  that  he  would  not  dare  face  his 
wife  or  his  king,  or  even  look  into  the  honest 


236         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

eyes  of  the  little  maid,  unless  he  had  first  thanked 
Elisha  and  acknowledged  Elisha's  God,  Jehovah. 
When  he  again  stood  before  Elisha's  door,  the 
prophet  himself  came  out  to  meet  him.  All  his 
vain  pride  Naaman  had  forgotten.  No  longer 
did  he  think  of  himself  as  a  great  leader,  but  only 
as  a  humble  seeker  after  knowledge.  He  wished 
to  know  more  about  the  Power  that  had  healed 
him.  So  in  thankfulness  he  said  to  Elisha, 
"Behold now,  I  know  that  there  is  no  God  in  all 

the  earth,  but  in  Israel : for  thy  servant 

will  henceforth  offer  neither  burnt-offering  nor 
sacrifice  unto  other  gods,  but  unto  Jehovah." 
But  what  should  he  do?  He  served  the 
king  of  Syria  and  must  always  go  with  him  into 
the  temple  of  Rimmon.  Would  Jehovah  be 
angry  and  think  he  was  not  faithful?  he  asked 
Elisha.  And  the  prophet,  the  helper  of  all  who 
came  to  him,  answered  no.  If  in  his  heart  he 
really  acknowledged  Jehovah  and  his  laws, 
going  into  the  temple  of  Rimmon  would  not 
hurt  him.  Besides,  while  he  served  the  king  his 
duty  was  to  do  what  the  king  required  of  him. 
If  he  could  not  be  obedient  to  the  king,  the  only 
thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  leave  his  service. 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         237 

And  that  is  what  I  think  Naaman  did,  for  soon 
after  we  read  in  the  Bible  that  there  was  a  new 
captain  of  the  Syrian  host.  Naaman  then  must 
have  learned  what  the  greatest  of  all  teachers 
said  many  years  afterward:  "Ye  cannot  serve 
two  masters." 

"What  became  of  those  rich  gifts  Naaman 
brought  with  him?"  you  are  asking.  He  must 
have  carried  most  of  them  back  with  him,  for 
Elisha  refused  to  accept  them.  He  had  not 
done  the  work;  it  was  God  who  had  healed  this 
believer  in  Him.  Naaman's  faith,  and  not 
Elisha' s  power,  had  worked  this  miracle. 

Let  us  watch  the  happy  band  as  they  move 
toward  Syria.  We  are  glad  with  them  that  all 
the  people  in  our  story  have  worked  together 
for  good,  and  that  into  no  heart  so  far  has  crept 
an  unkind  wish  or  evil  purpose.  Each  person 
in  the  story  has  been  wishing  to  help  another 
and  has  sought,  not  his  own,  but  the  other's 
good,  and  all  have  received  the  reward  of  peace. 

But  even  the  brightest  day  is  followed  by 
night.  So  across  the  light  and  love  of  this  Bible 
tale  there  falls  a  shadow  so  deep  that  at  first  J 
shrink  from  telling  it  to  you. 


238        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Elisha,  the  prophet  who  lived  to  bless,  into 
whose  heart  came  love  for  others,  had  a  servant 
whose  heart  was  as  black  as  Elisha' s  thought 
was  pure. 

"Why  did  he  have  such  a  servant?"  you  ask. 

I  will  answer  you  by  asking  why  did  the 
Christ  have  a  Judas  among  his  disciples? 

We  do  not  know  why,  but  we  do  know 
that  Gehazi,  Elisha's  servant,  thought  only  of 
himself.  In  another's  need  he  saw  only  a  chance 
to  reap  some  advantage  for  himself.  Into  his 
small,  narrow  soul  had  never  come  a  thought 
higher  than  that  of  greed.  What  could  he  get 
for  himself?  was  his  way  of  thinking,  never  how 
much  could  he  give? 

Gehazi  stood  watching  as  Elisha  dismissed 
Naaman  after  refusing  any  gift  from  him.  You 
could  see  his  face  lengthen  and  his  eyes  narrow 
with  disappointment.  How  his  fingers  clutched 
at  the  doorpost  as  he  thought  of  all  that  gold  he 
was  not  to  handle!  What,  all  that  treasure 
allowed  to  leave  us?  Gehazi  thought.  Not  so; 
I  at  least  will  get  some  benefit  from  the  Syrian's 
visit.  The  prophet  had  earned  the  reward, 
thought  Gehazi.  Why  should  it  not  be  shared 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         239 

with  a  faithful  servant?  The  prophet  did  not 
wish  to  claim  a  reward  which  he  felt  belonged, 
not  to  himself,  but  to  Jehovah.  He  wished 
also  to  strengthen  Naaman's  growing  faith  in 
Jehovah  and  wanted  him  to  look  to  God  only, 
not  to  his  prophet  Elisha.  Therefore  he  refused 
the  gift.  Where  had  Gehazi's  eyes  and  ears 
been  all  these  years  that  he  had  lived  with 
Elisha?  Blind  and  deaf  to  everything  but  greed 
and  gold. 

He  followed  after  Naaman's  chariot  and  told 
him  a  falsehood,  saying  that  Elisha  had  sent 
him  for  money  and  garments  for  some  poor  sons 
of  the  prophets  who  had  just  arrived  at  Elisha's 
house.  Generous  Naaman  gave  him  even  more 
than  he  had  asked,  and  sent  two  of  his  own 
servants  back  with  Gehazi  in  order  to  carry 
the  load.  But  Gehazi  dared  not  carry  his  spoil 
into  the  house  of  Elisha,  so  he  dismissed  the 
men  after  they  had  left  the  treasure  at  his  own 
house. 

"And  so  he  deceived  Elisha?"  you  ask. 

Oh,  no.  It  is  difficult  to  deceive  anyone 
whose  spirit  is  sincere  and  truthful.  Gehazi's 
vision  was  clouded  with  selfishness  and  greed, 


240         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

while  Elisha's  was  clear  and  keen,  for  Elisha's 
heart  spoke  nothing  to  him  or  to  others  but 
the  truth. 

When  Gehazi  came  at  Elisha's  summons,  he 
was  asked  where  he  had  been.  "I  have  been 
nowhere,"  was  the  reply. 

"Went  not  my  heart  with  thee,  when  the 
man  turned  from  his  chariot  to  meet  thee?  Is 
it  a  time  to  receive  money,  and  to  receive  gar- 
ments   ?"  said  Elisha  to  him.  Not  even 

could  Gehazi' s  fertility  in  falsehood  enable  him 
to  meet  this  charge,  and  so  he  stood  speechless 
before  the  prophet.  Then  Elisha  added,  "The 
leprosy  therefore  of  Naaman  shall  cleave  unto 
thee,  and  unto  thy  seed  for  ever." 

You  think  that  is  unjust?  Before  you  judge, 
think  for  a  moment.  Remember  that  those 
people  of  long  ago  often  taught  by  symbolic 
actions.  Elisha  did  not  mean  to  curse  Gehazi. 
It  was  the  leprous  soul  eaten  by  selfishness  and 
greed,  the  desire  to  deceive  and  to  defraud, 
which  should  forever  bear  the  leprous  mark  of 
uncleanness.  Leprosy  was  to  those  people  the 
scourge  of  God,  and  that  soul  defiled  by  evil 
desires  was  a  leprous  soul.  So  upon  Gehazi 


WHY  THE  WATERS  OF  JORDAN?         241 

and  upon  all  his  kind  the  curse  of  God  will  fall. 
Gehazi  learned  then  what  everyone  has  learned 
since,  that  "it  is  never  safe  to  do  anything 
against  the  truth." 


WHEN    HEZEKIAH   WENT 
TO   CHURCH 

HEZEKIAH'S  PRAYER  FOR  DELIVERANCE 

Not  that  it  was  unusual  for  Hezekiah  to 
go  to  church  am  I  telling  this  story,  but  because 
one  time  when  he  went  into  the  temple  such  a 
wonderful  thing  came  to  pass  on  account  of 
his  visit  that  I  feel  you  should  hear  about  it 
and  enjoy  it  with  me.  Hezekiah  was  king  of 
Judah  and  was  one  of  the  three  good  and  great 
kings  that  were  a  blessing  to  the  Hebrew 
people. 

Yes,  Israel  had  more  than  three  kings,  many 
more,  but  of  all  she  had,  only  three  left  behind 
them  a  good  record  and  were  faithful  to  the 
laws  of  Jehovah.  Perhaps  you  are  thinking 
Hezekiah  went  to  church  because  he  believed 
it  to  be  a  duty  or  because  his  father  com- 
pelled him  to  go.  Not  a  bit  of  it,  and  here  is 
where  the  surprise  is  for  many  of  you.  He 
went  because  he  loved  to  go.  To  have  kept 
him  at  home  would  have  been  hard  work.  His 
father  Ahaz  had  done  everything  he  could  to 

242 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH   243 

destroy  the  worship  of  Jehovah  and  to  defile  His 
temple.  If  you  are  wondering  why  Hezekiah 
was  so  different  from  his  father,  I  will  tell  you. 
He  had  a  good  mother. 

How  do  I  know  that?  The  Bible,  to  be  sure, 
says  no  more  about  Hezekiah 's  mother  than  to 
give  her  name,  Abi,  adding  that  her  father  was 
Zechariah,  who  probably  had  some  part  in  the 
music  of  the  temple  and  in  its  services.  We 
can  be  certain  that  Abi  was  a  woman  with  a  fine, 
strong  character,  for  you  boys  and  girls  who 
love  history  and  enjoy  reading  the  lives  of 
great  men  must  know,  as  I  do,  that  every 
good  man  who  has  become  great  has  always 
had  a  mother  with  force  of  character  and 
strength  of  mind. 

Suppose  we  make  another  visit  to  Jerusalem. 
You  who  watched  with  me  beside  the  gates  to 
see  the  queen  of  Sheba  when  she  entered  the 
city,  and  followed  her  into  the  presence  of  King 
Solomon,  will  be  much  disappointed  at  what 
you  will  find  there  when  Hezekiah  is  king.  The 
gardens  are  no  longer  beautiful  as  they  once 
were.  A  plow  seems  to  have  been  driven 
through  some  of  them  and  they  are  littered  with 


244        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

arrows.  You  may  possibly  stumble  over  some 
old  chariot  wheels  buried  deep  in  ruts  of  earth. 
A  sickly  wind  whines  through  gaunt  trees  often 
bare  of  leaves,  and  even  if  they  have  leaves  they 
droop  as  though  it  were  difficult  to  live.  The 
steep  ascent  is  rough  with  scattered  stones.  The 
city  gates  hang  aslant  on  rotting  hinges.  Some 
are  not  closed  at  all,  although  the  sun  has  set 
and  it  is  time  they  were  barred  for  the  coming 
night.  The  walls  of  the  city  have  so  many 
gaps  in  them  that  we  wonder  why  gates  are 
necessary,  as  one  could  easily  slip  through  the 
falling  ruins  so  often  battered  and  torn  by 
besieging  armies.  Now  and  then  a  loosened 
stone  drops  from  a  shattered  tower  on  the 
walls  with  a  crash  into  the  valley  below. 
Altogether  it  is  a  dismal  picture,  not  at  all 
like  the  glory  and  beauty  of  Solomon's  time. 
No,  do  not  turn  away  and  say  we  must  have 
made  a  mistake — this  is  not  Jerusalem,  the 
city  of  David.  You  are  pointing  to  the  many 
altars  on  which  a  human  sacrifice  is  smolder- 
ing into  ashes.  The  dying  shrieks  of  a  youth 
being  made  to  "pass  through  the  fire"  cause 
you  to  shudder  with  horror.  His  father  passes 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH      245 

us  with  blood-stained  hands  and  with  a  smile  on 
his  face,  for  has  he  not  offered  his  first-born  to 
the  fire-god,  who  will  now  forgive  the  father's 
sin?  As  we  enter  the  city  and  pass  by  the 
closed  doors  of  the  temple,  you  look  in  astonish- 
ment at  the  many  revolting  images  of  heathen 
gods  within  its  courts.  Surely  this  cannot  be 
Jerusalem,  you  insist,  for  these  things  do  not 
belong  to  the  worship  of  Jehovah.  It  is 
Jerusalem.  You  remember  I  told  you  that  of 
all  the  kings  of  Israel  and  Judah  only  three 
were  faithful  to  their  people  and  to  their  God, 
Jehovah. 

We  know  that  every  Hebrew  law  forbade 
human  sacrifice,  and  that  a  man  causing  his 
children  to  "pass  through  the  fire"  was  to  be 
stoned  to  death.  Israel  had  good  laws. 

You  ask,  "Why  did  n't  she  keep  them  then?" 
For  the  same  reason  that  people  in  our  time 
do  not  keep  the  laws  they  know  are  righteous. 
My  story,  as  you  see,  is  only  about  people,  and 
people  then  were  the  same  as  they  are  now,  some 
good,  some  evil,  many  lawbreakers,  and  many 
wishing  to  see  the  law  obeyed.  No,  the  people 
of  those  long-ago  days  were  only  human  as  we 


246        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

are.  Watch  them  carefully  and  see.  Isn't  it 
like  a  looking-glass  across  which,  as  time  passes, 
is  reflected  all  human  experience,  yours  and  mine 
as  well? 

But  let  us  listen  to  the  people  of  Jerusalem 
as  we  walk  through  their  streets.  Do  you  see 
them  shake  their  heads  in  doubt  as  they  wonder 
what  kind  of  king  young  Hezekiah  will  make? 
Ahaz,  his  father,  had  overthrown  the  worship 
of  Jehovah  and  even  put  into  the  temple  images 
of  the  Asherim,  idols  of  the  neighboring  heathen 
kingdom.  One  old  man  is  saying  to  his  compan- 
ion, "We  need  our  streets  repaired  and  the  city 
walls  rebuilt  where  they  have  been  torn  down." 

"Yes,"  replies  his  friend,  "and  our  water 
supply  should  be  improved.  And  there  is  the 
temple;  it  has  been  so  abused  by  Ahaz  and  the 
kings  before  him  that  it  will  need  a  thorough 
cleansing  before  it  will  be  fit  for  the  worship  of 
Jehovah." 

"Look  at  the  watch  towers  on  those  walls! 
They  are  a  shame  to  Jerusalem,"  remarks  a 
third. 

"There  is  no  longer  any  hope  for  our  once 
royal  city,"  observes  a  sad-faced  man.  The 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH      247 

hearts  of  Israel  and  Judah  are  so  depraved  with 
serving  false  gods  and  indulging  in  foolish  pleas- 
ures that  they  no  longer  take  any  pride  in 
Jerusalem." 

A  man  joins  the  group  and  smiles  as  one 
after  another  respectfully  greets  him.  There 
is  a  light  in  his  eyes  that  at  once  gives  us  courage. 
He  surely  sees  something  that  is  good.  He  is 
Isaiah,  the  prophet-statesman. 

"You  will  have  every  desire  satisfied,"  he 
says  to  the  men.  "Hezekiah's  heart  is  warm 
with  love  for  his  country  and  his  God.  Be 
patient,  and  help  him  in  his  efforts  to  redeem 
Jerusalem  and  deliver  her  from  her  enemies." 

"Had  Jerusalem  enemies  in  Hezekiah's 
time?"  you  ask  me. 

The  city  and  the  Hebrew  nation  have  always 
had  enemies.  Even  now  as  we  are  looking  out 
from  her  towers  down  on  the  peaceful  valley 
below,  there  is  an  army  on  its  march  intending 
to  capture  her  treasure  and  make  her  people 
slaves. 

You  may  be  saying  that  Jehovah  had  made 
a  covenant  with  Israel  and  had  promised  to  pro- 
tect the  people  and  the  city  from  their  enemies. 

17 


248         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Yes,  if  they  obeyed  His  laws,  but  not  other- 
wise. The  closed  doors  of  the  temple,  its 
desecrated  altars,  the  hideous  idols  within  the 
city  and  on  every  hilltop,  show  us  only  too  well 
that  Judah  and  Israel  have  forsaken  Jehovah, 
and  many  of  the  people  probably  have  never 
known  Him. 

We  enter  the  city  the  day  Hezekiah  is 
crowned  king.  Let  us  visit  his  palace  and  watch 
him  as  he  stands  talking  with  his  counselor, 
Isaiah,  the  prophet.  As  we  silently  conceal  our- 
selves behind  the  curtains  of  the  doorway  he  and 
Isaiah  pass  us.  Outside  they  turn  their  faces 
in  the  direction  of  the  temple.  With  upraised 
arms  the  young  king  declares  that  his  first  work 
shall  be  the  cleansing  of  Jehovah's  house,  and 
the  purifying  of  the  Levites  and  the  priesthood 
so  that  they  may  be  ready  for  all  the  temple 
service. 

And  all  these  things  he  did,  even  destroying 
the  brazen  serpent  which  Moses  had  set  up  in 
the  wilderness  to  heal  the  bite  of  the  fiery  ser- 
pent. When  the  people  objected  to  this  destruc- 
tion of  an  old  idol  and  asked  that  they  might 
still  be  allowed  to  burn  incense  to  it,  he  replied, 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH    249 

"It  is  nothing  but  a  piece  of  brass  and  cannot 
help  you." 

Every  religious  service  Hezekiah  reestab- 
lished. The  passover  had  been  so  long  neglected 
that  the  majority  of  the  people  had  forgotten 
the  laws  about  it,  and  probably  there  were  some 
who  had  never  heard  of  it.  So  the  king  sent 
messengers  with  letters  throughout  all  Judah, 
Israel,  Ephraim,  and  Manasseh,  calling  them 
to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the  passover.  His  letters 
told  the  people  that  all  the  Hebrew  country 
was  in  danger  from  her  enemies,  that  many  of 
her  people  already  were  in  captivity,  and  that 
captivity  would  be  the  fate  of  all  unless  they 
returned  to  Jehovah  and  obeyed  His  law. 

Yes,  they  listened.  There  were  many  who 
ridiculed  the  king  and  probably  wondered  why 
such  intelligent  persons  as  themselves,  so  full 
of  new  and  up-to-date  ideas,  should  give  atten- 
tion to  a  worship  and  a  God  they  had  forgotten 
years  before.  Can  this  stripling  king  teach  us 
anything?  they  inquired  among  themselves. 
How  their  question  was  answered  our  story  will 
tell  us.  A  few  heard  gladly  the  king's  invita- 
tion and  quickly  came  to  Jerusalem  to  keep  the 


250        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

passover  with  him.  There  were  only  a  few  in 
all,  "the  remnant,"  as  the  Bible  calls  the  little 
band  always  faithful  to  God. 

But,  small  as  the  gathering  was,  it  accom- 
plished a  mighty  work.  The  temple  was  purged 
of  all  uncleanness,  every  idol  and  image  in  the 
Hebrew  land  was  destroyed,  every  act  of  wor- 
ship to  a  heathen  god  was  abolished.  The 
priest  and  Levites  again  performed  the  temple 
service  of  Jehovah,  and  they  were  given  the 
tithes — that  is,  the  tenth  part  of  all  the  earn- 
ings and  treasures  of  the  people.  How  did 
this  please  the  people?  Scripture  says  they 
gave  so  gladly  and  willingly  that  more  was 
given  than  could  be  used ;  store-room  had  to  be 
found  for  the  over  supply. 

Hezekiah  selected  and  re-edited  some  of 
Solomon's  proverbs,  and  when  you  read  them 
you  know  his  selection  was  exactly  what  a 
man  like  the  king  would  live  by.  What  were 
they?  Proverbs,  twenty-fifth  chapter  and  on 
through  the  twenty-ninth  chapter.  He  altered 
and  improved  the  song  service  of  the  temple 
and  had  music  of  different  kinds  used  in  the 
worship. 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH    251 

He  repaired  the  streets,  rebuilt  the  walls, 
strengthened  the  towers,  built  treasuries  and 
storehouses,  gave  the  city  a  better  water  supply, 
helped  the  farmers  to  increase  their  crops  and 
their  cattle,  and  the  workmen  as  well  as  the 
farmers  to  increase  their  gains.  Wealth  and  all 
things  in  plenty  were  his,  but  not  once  did  any 
of  his  treasure  cause  him  to  forget  Jehovah. 
And  it  was  for  this  reason  that  he  was  able  to 
make  that  memorable  visit  to  the  temple  of 
which  our  story  tells. 

"How  long  did  it  take  Hezekiah  to  do  all 
these  good  works?"  you  ask. 

For  twenty-nine  years  he  was  king,  and 
every  one  of  those  years  saw  some  good  work 
done  by  him.  He  did  only  one  thing  at  a  time 
and  did  it  thoroughly  and  quickly.  As  the 
Bible  says,  he  did  everything  with  all  his  heart, 
also  adding  that  whatever  he  did  with  all  his 
heart  was  a  success. 

We  have  toiled  up  the  steep  slopes  leading 
to  the  city  and  have  seen  with  sorrow  the  decay 
into  which  it  was  rapidly  falling.  Then  we 
have  turned  away  to  leave  it  in  the  hands  of  its 
young  and  noble  king  and  the  great  prophet 


252         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Isaiah,  certain  that  the  fortunes  of  Zion  during 
their  lifetime  would  be  blessed. 

Years  after  the  evening  when  Hezekiah 
declared  that  the  cleansing  of  the  temple  should 
be  his  first  work,  let  us  go  back  again  and  see 
the  changes  that  have  come  to  Jerusalem.  But 
we  cannot  enter  the  city.  An  army  is  encamped 
around  it.  Yes,  it  is  the  army  of  the  conquering 
Assyrian  against  whom  no  nation  has  been  able 
to  prevail.  Behind  them  they  have  always  left 
a  trail  of  desolation  and  despair. 

Will  they  take  Jerusalem?     Wait  and  see. 

It  was  not  the  hour  of  prayer.  Neither  was 
there  sacrifice  or  service  going  on  in  the  temple 
when  Hezekiah  went  through  its  courts  and 
pushed  aside  the  curtains  which  hid  the  Holy 
of  Holies,  for  he  stood  before  the  ark  of  the 
covenant,  the  sacred  ark  just  above  which  the 
people  believed  the  presence  of  God  dwelt. 

"But  we  thought  only  the  high  priest,  once 
a  year,  on  the  day  of  Atonement,  was  allowed 
to  enter  the  most  holy  place,"  you  say. 

That  was  the  old  law  and  also  the  law 
as  it  existed  but  was  not  heeded,  in  the  day  of 
Hezekiah.  This  visit  Hezekiah  made,  however, 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH    253 

was  at  a  time  of  deep  distress  and  great 
danger.  An  army  was  hammering  at  the 
gates  of  Jerusalem;  a  vicious  letter  from  a 
cruel  king  demanded  that  Hezekiah  give  the 
city  to  the  enemy.  Hezekiah  went  into  the 
the  temple  to  talk  with  God.  Jehovah  was  to 
him  a  real  friend.  He  could  not  see,  but  he  did 
feel  this  Power,  and  knew  that  he  stood  in  the 
presence  of  One  who  had  promised  never  to 
leave  nor  to  forsake  those  who  really  put  their 
whole  trust  in  Him.  He  had  been  taught  that 
here  within  the  Holy  of  Holies  one  could  come 
closest  to  Jehovah,  and  so  in  the  hour  of  his 
greatest  need  he  stepped  within  it  and  asked 
God  to  hear  him. 

"If  an  army  was  besieging  Jerusalem,  why 
didn't  he  call  out  his  soldiers?"  you  boys  ask. 

For  the  same  reason  that  David  refused  to 
wear  Saul's  armor  when  he  went  out  to  meet 
Goliath.  Both  David  and  Hezekiah  had  great 
faith  in  God  and  very  little  in  armies  and  their 
machinery. 

The  ark  of  the  covenant — which  was  really 
an  oblong  box — had  above  it,  directly  in  the 
center,  a  spot  called  the  mercy-seat;  over  this 


254        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

seat  were  stretched  out  the  wings  of  the  cheru- 
bim. You  might  have  called  them  angels.  To 
the  Israelites  the  Mercy-seat  was 'where  God 
himself  dwelt,  and  the  wings  of  the  cherubim 
signified  His  sheltering  care.  Now  we  know 
why  Hezekiah  disregarded  the  priestly  law  and 
went  to  lay  the  letter  before  this  seat. 

Into  the  sacred  place  Hezekiah  had  carried 
the  letter  and  laid  it  before  the  Mercy-seat.  It 
was  here  he  would  ask  and  receive  God's 
mercy  for  his  people.  The  letter  was  from 
Sennacherib,  saying,  "Let  not  thy  God  in  whom 
thou  trust est  deceive  thee,  saying,  Jerusalem 
shall  not  be  given  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of 
Assyria.  Behold,  thou  hast  heard  what  the 
kings  of  Assyria  have  done  to  all  lands,  by 
destroying  them  utterly;  and  shalt  thou  be 
delivered?" 

Rabshakeh,  the  messenger  of  Sennacherib, 
king  of  Assyria,  had  insultingly  talked  with 
Hezekiah's  three  officers — his  treasurer,  his 
secretary,  and  his  historian.  The  haughty 
Assyrian  soldier  kept  talking  to  the  men  upon 
the  wall  in  the  Jews'  language,  even  though 
Eliakim,  Shebna,  and  Joah,  the  messengers  of 


HEZEKIAH  ASKING  GOD'S  MERCY  FOR  HIS  PEOPLE 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH    255 

Hezekiah,  had  asked  that  he  speak  in  Assyrian, 
as  they  understood  that  language.  Like  all 
other  bullies,  the  Assyrian  thought  that  courtesy 
meant  weakness,  so  he  began  to  scoff  at  the 
three  men,  blaspheme  against  Jehovah,  and 
speak  with  contempt  of  Hezekiah' s  folly.  By 
his  folly  the  Assyrian  meant  Hezekiah 's  trust 
in  Jehovah.  "You  are  being  deceived  by 
Hezekiah,"  shouted  the  Assyrian  commander; 
"put  your  trust  in  my  king  and  you  shall 
have  mercy."  Rabshakeh  offered  the  listeners 
upon  the  wall  homes,  property,  and  all  things 
in  plenty  if  they  would  desert  Hezekiah  and 
serve  Sennacherib. 

The  men  upon  the  wall  made  no  answer. 
The  Assyrian  general  had  not  frightened  them. 
They  "rested  themselves  upon  the  words  of 
Hezekiah  king  of  Judah."  What  were  those 
words? 

"Be  strong  and  of  good  courage,  be  not 
afraid  nor  dismayed  for  the  king  of  Assyria, 
nor  for  all  the  multitude  that  is  with  him;  for 
there  is  a  greater  with  us  than  with  him:  with 
him  is  an  arm  of  flesh;  but  with  us  is  Jehovah 
our  God  to  help  us,  and  to  fight  our  battles." 


256         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

The  king  and  the  men  of  Judah  knew  well 
what  had  been  the  fate  of  every  nation  that 
had  dared  rebel  against  the  despotic  rule  of 
Sennacherib.  Had  they  not  been  told  of  cap- 
tives lying  naked  before  that  monarch  in  order 
that  they  might  be  whipped  to  death?  Starva- 
tion, exile,  imprisonment,  and  every  punishment 
that  fiendish  cruelty  could  suggest  was  employed 
to  torture  any  people  who  resisted  the  will  of 
Assyria's  king. 

It  was  in  this  hour  that  Hezekiah  went  into 
the  temple,  carrying  with  him  the  fate  of 
Jerusalem  and  its  people.  He  would  prove 
that  the  evil  tongue  of  this  heathen  king  could 
not  alter  Jehovah's  purpose  to  protect  every 
soul  that  called  upon  Him,  and  so  he  prayed: 

"O  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel,  that  sittest 
above  the  cherubim,  thou  art  the  God,  even 
thou  alone,  of  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  earth; 
thou  hast  made  heaven  and  earth.  Incline 
thine  ear,  O  Jehovah,  and  hear;  open  thine 
eyes,  O  Jehovah,  and  see;  and  hear  the  words 
of  Sennacherib,  wherewith  he  hath  sent  him  to 
defy  the  living  God.  Of  a  truth,  Jehovah,  the 
kings  of  Assyria  have  laid  waste  the  nations 


WHEN  HEZEKIAH  WENT  TO  CHURCH    257 

and  their  lands,  and  have  cast  their  gods  into 
the  fire;  for  they  were  no  gods,  but  the  work 
of  men's  hands,  wood  and  stone;  therefore 
they  have  destroyed  them.  Now  therefore, 
O  Jehovah  our  God,  save  thou  us,  I  beseech 
thee,  out  of  his  hand,  that  all  the  kingdoms  of 
the  earth  may  know  that  thou  Jehovah  art 
God  alone." 

When  his  prayer  was  ended,  Hezekiah  left 
the  temple  and  at  the  door  met  a  messenger 
from  Isaiah.  Through  the  mouth  of  the 
prophet  came  Jehovah's  answer,  saying  of 
Sennacherib,  "He  shall  not  come  unto  this 
city,  nor  shoot  an  arrow  there,  neither  shall 
he  come  before  it  with  shield,  nor  cast  up  a 
mound  against  it  ....  For  I  will  defend 
this  city  to  save  it,  for  mine  own  sake,  and 
for  my  servant  David's  sake." 

That  night  Hezekiah's  rest  must  have  been 
sweet.  No  troubled  dreams  of  broken  walls 
and  captive  exiles  disturbed  his  sleep.  He  and 
his  people  were  at  rest.  Not  so  the  Assyrian 
host  outside  the  city,  for  from  the  wings  of  night 
there  had  fallen  a  black  pestilence  upon  the 
besieging  army.  So  great  was  the  number  of 


258         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

dead  that  lay  in  their  midst  they  dared  not 
stay  longer  in  the  place.  Without  one  blow  at 
the  city  they  had  come  to  capture,  they  turned 
and  went  to  their  own  land,  and  Hezekiah  had 
no  further  trouble  with  the  Assyrians. 

Do  you  ask  me,  "Was  this  an  answer  to  his 
prayer?"  I  will  let  you  settle  this  question 
for  yourselves.  But  before  I  leave  you  let  me 
add  that  it  is  not  wisdom  to  doubt  something 
one  has  never  tried. 


TWICE   TWO    IS   FIVE 

THE  FALL  OF  JERUSALEM  AND  THE 
FIERY  FURNACE 

Let  us  go  up  to-day  to  "The  city  of  the 
great  king." 

"Oh,  this  story  isn't  in  the  beginning 
time,"  I  hear  some  little  girl  say,  "because 
they  didn't  have  kings  then!" 

No,  the  beginning  time  is  past  and  a  long, 
long  way  behind  us. 

You  remember  little  Benjamin  and  his 
sister  Sarah  turning  away  from  the  promised 
land  and  wondering  as  they  walked  why  they 
should  go  back  again  into  the  wilderness. 
You  remember,  too,  the  promise  made  to 
Jacob  that  he  and  his  children's  children 
should  inherit  all  of  that  beautiful  country 
in  which  he  lay  asleep  and  dreamed  the  dream 
that  made  him  a  better  man. 

All  these  things  had  come  to  pass.  For 
Benjamin  and  Sarah  entered  into  the  promised 
land  with  the  great  leader  Joshua  when  they 
had  grown  to  be  a  man  and  woman  and  had 

259 


26o         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

children  of  their  own.  Jacob's  seed  —  as  his 
descendants  were  called — had  spread  "abroad 
to  the  west,  and  to  the  east,  and  to  the  north, 
and  to  the  south,"  as  God  had  promised,  and 
the  beautiful  land  of  Palestine  belonged  to 
Israel. 

In  the  time  of  our  story  the  little  folks 
and  the  big  folks  were  told  stories  about  the 
shepherd  boy  David  who  had  fought  with  the 
giant  Goliath  and  saved  his  people.  Their 
prophets  kept  telling  them  not  to  forget  Samuel 
and  his  message  to  Eli.  They  were  also  to 
remember  the  last  words  of  Moses,  which  he 
spoke  just  before  he  left  Israel  and  the  people 
entered  Canaan  with  Joshua. 

What  were  the  words  of  Moses?  That 
Canaan,  the  promised  land,  was  theirs  while 
they  obeyed  God's  laws,  but  that  they  would 
lose  it  if  they  disobeyed. 

Do  you  remember  waking  very  early  in 
the  morning  and  trying  to  make  out  what  the 
different  objects  were  which  you  saw  in  the 
gray  mist  of  the  early  dawn?  Then  as  you 
stood  by  your  window  and  watched  the  misty 
gray  gloom  disappear,  the  trees  and  houses 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  261 

began  to  stand  out  clearly,  one  by  one.  Little 
red  threads  of  color  pierced  the  white  clouds, 
and  then  a  church  spire  in  the  distance  caught 
the  first  sunbeam,  and  window  after  window 
of  the  houses  turned  into  flame  as  they  reflected 
the  rays  of  the  sun.  All  was  quiet  until  a 
cart  rumbling  over  the  pavement  broke  the 
silence  and  you  knew  the  milkman  was  com- 
ing with  your  breakfast  milk.  You  heard  the 
rooster  in  the  yard  next  door  tell  his  family 
it  was  time  to  be  up  and  stirring.  The  birds 
began  to  chatter,  and  a  robin  flew  to  his  mate 
in  the  tree  beside  your  window  with  a  fine 
fat  worm  for  her  and  the  babies.  Soon  Mother 
called  that  breakfast  was  ready,  and  when  it 
was  over  you  started  off  to  school. 

Let  us  think  of  the  "beginning  time"  as 
the  gray  dawn  of  the  early  morning  when 
things  seem  dim  and  nothing  stands  out  very 
clearly. 

When  this  story  opens,  Israel's  morning 
time  had  passed  and  she  had  entered  the 
noontide  of  her  history. 

The  people  no  longer  kept  sheep  and 
cattle  and  dwelt  in  tents.  They  had  built 


262         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

cities  and  had  fine  houses  and  beautiful  palaces; 
had  great  kings  and  large  armies  with  horses 
and  chariots.  They  were  a  nation  old  enough 
to  have  had  a  history  written  about  them. 
Some  of  their  people  had  been  famous  generals, 
kings,  poets,  and  statesmen.  They  had  wealth, 
and  a  temple  so  beautiful  that  even  to  the 
present  time  there  has  never  been  anything 
more  magnificent. 

"Before  you  go  on  with  the  story,"  I  hear 
some  boy  asking,  "will  you  not  tell  us 
why  you  say  twice  two  is  five?  Even  my 
little  sister  in  the  kindergarten  knows  better 
than  that." 

It  does  sound  foolish,  doesn't  it?  But 
when  we  have  finished  our  story  you  will  know 
that  even  some  grown  people  don't  know  any 
better. 

Shall  we  climb  up  to  the  city  or  wait  until 
some  boy  comes  by  with  his  donkey  and  gives 
us  a  ride  through  the  gates?  Before  we  do 
either,  let  us  stand  here  in  the  valley  and  look 
upward. 

"What  steep  rocks,"  you  say,  "and  a  deep 
gorge  around  every  side  but  one!" 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  263 

Yes,  and  on  top  of  those  rocks  is  the  city 
with  its  great  wall  and  strong  towers. 

"What  is  it,"  you  ask,  "that  glitters  so  in 
the  sunshine?" 

That  is  the  wonderful  golden  temple  of 
Solomon,  dazzling  and  sparkling  as  the  sun 
itself. 

Suppose  the  roof  of  your  church  was  made 
of  gold,  and  as  you  opened  the  golden  doors 
to  go  inside  the  church  you  stepped  on  a  pol- 
ished golden  floor.  Or  perhaps,  if  the  day  was 
warm  and  you  had  gone  early  to  church,  you 
had  waited  in  the  porch  for  your  friends,  and 
as  you  stood  there  you  admired  its  golden 
ceiling.  Suppose  the  carving  of  the  pillars  was 
also  overlaid  with  gold,  and  looked  like  leaves 
and  flowers  molded  out  of  that  precious  metal. 
Suppose  your  church  windows  had  no  glass  in 
them,  but  were  lattice  work,  and  around  them 
blazed  and  flashed  costly  jewels.  Rich,  heavy 
curtains,  wonderfully  embroidered,  divided  the 
rooms.  There  were  golden  candlesticks,  and 
everything  you  used  inside  your  church  was 
made  of  gold,  silver,  ivory,  and  rare  woods  with 
ornaments  of  precious  stones.  If  your  church 

18 


264        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

were  like  this,  it  would  be  like  Solomon's  temple 
in  magnificence,  but  would  not  have  its  form. 

The  glory  and  pride  of  Zion  was  this  temple. 
And  as  we  look  from  the  valley,  the  temple 
and  the  city  and  its  walls  seem  to  hang  sus- 
pended from  the  sky  and  merely  touch  the 
great,  jagged  rocks  upon  which  they  stand; 
or,  as  a  Hebrew  poet  describes  it  in  one  of  the 
Psalms, 

"Beautiful  in  elevation,  the 
joy  of  the  whole  earth, 

Is  mount  Zion,   .    .    . 

The  city  of  the  great  King. 

Walk  about  Zion,  and  go  round  about  her: 

Number  the  towers  thereof. 

Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks; 

Consider  her  palaces : 

That  ye  may  tell  it  to  the  generation  follow- 
ing." 

"How  happy  people  must  have  been  in  such 
a  city!"  you  say. 

They  could  have  been,  but  they  were  not. 
It  is  not  always  people  who  may  be  happy 
that  are  so. 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  265 

We  must  hurry  up  the  steep  ascent  if  we 
mean  to  enter  the  city  before  dark.  When 
the  sun  sets,  the  gates  will  be  closed  and  we 
shall  have  to  stay  outside  until  morning.  You 
think  you  would  like  to  be  in  the  valley  all 
night,  for  the  air  is  warm  and  the  gardens 
will  be  beautiful  in  the  moonlight.  They  are 
the  king's  gardens,  laid  out  years  ago  when 
David  and  Solomon  lived.  Yes,  David  had 
wonderful  gardens  at  the  foot  of  the  cliffs 
outside  the  city.  He  of  course  loved  flowers 
and  all  the  beautiful  things  of  nature,  and  he 
it  was  who  said, 

"The  heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God; 

And  the  firmament  showeth  his  handiwork. 

Day  unto  day  uttereth  speech, 

And  night  unto  night  showeth  knowledge." 

To-night  we  shall  not  wait.  There  are  stirr- 
ing scenes  going  on  in  the  city,  and  we  must  be 
there  if  we  are  to  see  them.  Besides,  put  your 
ear  to  the  ground.  Do  you  not  hear  that  steady 
tramp-tramp-tramp  and  the  rumble  as  of  a 
heavy  body  dragged  along  the  ground? 

It  is  the  army  of  the  enemy  coming  to  take 
the  city — it  is  in  danger.  Let  us  get  behind 


266        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

its  strong  walls  before  the  soldiers  encamp 
around  it. 

Now  that  we  are  inside  and  the  gates  are 
closed,  we  shall  stand  quietly  aside  in  this  dark 
corner  of  one  of  the  narrow  streets  and  watch 
what  happens. 

From  one  of  those  low,  flat-roofed  houses 
there  comes  the  cry  of  little  children.  They 
want  their  mother,  but  she  will  not  come,  for 
she  and  her  husband  and  older  sons  ventured 
too  far  outside  the  city  gates  yesterday  and 
were  seized  by  the  enemy  and  carried  away 
captive. 

The  lights  are  out  in  the  great  gray  towers 
upon  the  city  walls.  The  huge  battering-rams 
of  the  Babylonian  army  will  know  where  to 
strike  if  a  light  is  in  those  towers. 

With  his  mantle  drawn  across  his  face,  and 
his  shoulders  drooping  as  if  with  weariness,  a 
man  comes  slowly  along  the  street.  He  hears 
the  children's  cry  and  enters  the  house.  Soon 
he  comes  out  with  a  tiny  girl  wrapped  in  his 
cloak  and  leading  a  little  lad  by  the  hand. 
Poor  little  orphans,  the  kind  prophet  Jeremiah 
will  see  that  they  have  their  supper. 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  267 

A  group  of  people  meets  them  and  turns 
aside.  In  the  faces  of  these  people  as  they 
pass  the  prophet  are  both  hate  and  fear.  Why? 

Jeremiah  has  warned  them  that  their  city 
is  to  be  destroyed  and  that  it  is  useless  for  them 
to  try  to  save  it.  He  has  told  them  that  their 
sins  have  cost  them  their  city  and  their  liberty. 

The  people  of  the  city  do  not  want  to 
stop  sinning.  Everybody  sins,  they  think; 
why  shouldn't  they? 

Besides,  they  don't  want  their  neighbors, 
the  other  nations,  to  call  them  odd.  If  they 
should  stop  worshiping  idols,  making  their 
children  "pass  through  the  fire,"  and  other 
awful  practices,  and  instead  should  serve 
Jehovah  by  doing  justly  and  living  righteously, 
they  would  be  an  odd  or  peculiar  people. 

In  the  history  of  the  Hebrew  kings  we  read 
of  Jehovah  speaking  to  the  people  and  saying, 

"Turn  ye  from  your  evil  ways,  and  keep 
my  commandments  ....  They  would  not 
hear,  but  hardened  their  neck,  like  to  .... 
their  fathers,  who  believed  not  in  Jehovah 
their  God.  And  they  rejected  his  statutes, 
and  his  covenant  ....  and  they  followed 


268         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

vanity,  and  became  vain,  and  went  after  the 
nations  that  were  round  about  them,  con- 
cerning whom  Jehovah  had  charged  them  that 
they  should  not  do  like  them.  And  they  for- 
sook all  the  commandments  of  Jehovah  their 
God.  .  .  .  Therefore  Jehovah  was  very  angry 
with  Israel,  and  removed  them  out  of  his  sight." 

The  hour  when  Israel  should  be  carried 
away  into  captivity  had  come.  The  steady 
tread  of  the  great  Babylonian  army  sent  terror 
to  the  people's  hearts.  They  did  not  dare  go  to 
Jeremiah  for  advice.  He  would  only  say,  "Your 
city  is  doomed."  They  had  imprisoned  him 
many  times,  and  once  had  tried  to  throw  him 
over  the  cliffs  to  the  valley  below;  but  nothing 
seemed  to  hurt  him,  and  his  warnings  only  grew 
the  more  severe.  Besides,  the  army  of  which 
they  stood  in  fear  was  friendly  to  the  prophet — 
perhaps  the  enemy  respected  his  fearless  honesty. 

There  were  other  prophets.  Some  of  them 
were  now  in  the  towers  upon  the  walls  watching 
the  army  as  it  encircled  the  city.  "Shall  we 
surrender?"  the  white-faced  people  asked  these 
smiling  prophets.  "Jeremiah  says  our  sins  have 
been  our  ruin  and  that  our  foes  will  conquer." 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  269 

"Everything  is  going  to  be  well  with  you. 
Don't  listen  to  Jeremiah,"  we  can  almost  hear 
these  advisers  reply  as  they  made  ready  to 
flee  if  it  should  be  necessary. 

"As  the  mountains  are  round  about 
Jerusalem, 

So   Jehovah   is  round   about   his 

people," 

the  Psalmist  had  said.  But  the  people  had 
forgotten  all  about  Jehovah,  the  God  of  Israel. 
They  had  even  lost  the  Book  in  which  that 
helpful  promise  had  been  made.  All  they  could 
see  or  think  of  now  were  the  hills  ' '  round  about 
Jerusalem"  covered  with  soldiers  encamping 
there  month  after  month,  determined  to  starve 
the  city  into  surrendering.  From  forts  on 
those  hills  the  enemy  daily  sent  missiles  of  stone 
into  the  doomed  city.  The  people  dared  not 
open  the  city  gates.  Their  bones  began  to 
pierce  through  their  flesh,  the  weak  and  the 
sick  were  dying,  and  each  day  the  strong  grew 
more  feeble  from  lack  of  food ;  but  they  would 
not  yield. 

It  is  night ;  not  a  light  is  to  be  seen  anywhere 
except  in  the  camp  of  the  Babylonian  army. 


270        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

The  people  of  the  city  are  asleep,  trusting  in 
the  strength  of  their  city's  massive  walls.  As 
they  sleep  perhaps  in  their  dreams  they  feel  the 
ground  trembling,  and  for  a  moment  visions 
of  tottering  towers  and  falling  walls  disturb 
their  slumbers. 

Sleep  on,  Jerusalem.  That  shock  was  a 
break  made  in  your  wall  by  the  enemy's 
battering-rams.  Already  the  soldiers  are 
quietly  stealing  along  the  black-stone  pave- 
ments of  your  streets  and  entering  your  holy 
temple.  Your  king  and  his  warriors  have 
quietly  slipped  out  of  one  of  your  gates  and 
are  fleeing  to  the  distant  hills.  When  you 
open  your  eyes  again  to  greet  the  morning 
sun,  it  will  be  to  look  into  the  faces  of  your 
conquerors. 

The  royal  palace  and  the  golden  temple 
were  set  on  fire.  The  huge  copper  sea  of 
Solomon,  standing  in  the  court  of  the  temple, 
and  the  massive  copper  pillars  or  columns 
supporting  the  roof  of  the  temple  porch,  were 
broken  in  pieces  by  the  soldiers  and  carried 
away,  together  with  all  the  temple's  silver  and 
gold  and  jewels. 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  271 

Think  of  copper  columns  twenty-seven  feet, 
or  more,  high,  and  eighteen  feet  around,  so 
beautiful  that  Solomon  gave  them  names  just 
as  we  give  names  to  girls  and  boys.  What 
were  the  names  he  gave  the  columns?  Jachin 
and  Boaz,  which  meant  "strength"  and  "sta- 
bility." Just  the  right  names  for  pillars  that 
held  up  a  heavy  roof  lined  with  gold,  were  they 
not? 

"What  is  a  copper  sea?"  you  ask.  It  was 
really  a  gigantic  bowl  in  which  the  priests 
washed  their  hands  and  feet  before  they  offered 
sacrifice.  Solomon  had  ordered  one  made  so 
large  that  it  would  hold  ten  thousand  gallons 
of  water,  and  the  people  called  it  a  sea.  It 
was  made  of  copper  and  rested  on  the  backs 
of  twelve  great  copper  oxen. 

The  beautiful  gardens  were  trodden  down, 
the  city  walls  were  reduced  to  rubbish,  and 
the  forests  outside  the  city  were  destroyed  by 
the  Babylonians.  The  soldiers  spared  nothing 
that  they  could  ruin.  The  people,  old  men  and 
little  children,  young  men  and  maidens,  were 
torn  from  their  homes  and  separated  from  their 
families,  to  be  sent  captives  to  the  city  of 


272         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Babylon.  In  the  desolate  city  only  the  poorest 
and  feeblest  of  its  people  were  left. 

"What  became  of  Jeremiah?  Was  he  made 
captive?"  you  ask. 

No,  both  Nebuchadnezzar,  the  king  of 
Babylon,  and  Nebuzaradan,  the  commander 
of  his  army,  were  friendly  to  the  prophet. 
Don't  you  remember  what  the  wise  man  says 
in  Proverbs?  "When  a  man's  ways  please 
Jehovah,  he  maketh  even  his  enemies  to  be  at 
peace  with  him." 

Jeremiah  had  served  Jehovah.  The  faith 
of  the  prophet  and  his  service  had  protected 
him  from  the  Babylonians.  He  was  given 
his  liberty  and  was  told  that  he  might  live 
where  he  pleased,  and  Nebuchadnezzar  warned 
all  his  own  people  against  doing  harm  to 
him. 

I  asked  you  to  go  with  me  to  ' '  The  city  of 
the  great  king,"  and  together  we  entered  the 
gates  of  Jerusalem  and  watched  from  our  dark 
corner  as  the  city  fell. 

Now  come  with  me  to  Babylon,  where  our 
captives  have  been  taken.  We  will  stop  in 
front  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  palace,  enter,  pass 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  273 

through  its  halls,  and  lift  that  heavy  curtain 
which  hides  the  room  we  wish  to  see. 

Yes,  there  they  are,  three  fine-looking  youths ; 
they  belong  to  the  "blood  royal"  of  Jerusalem. 
Nebuchadnezzar  has  had  them  trained  in  all 
the  "learning  of  the  Chaldeans,"  who  were  his 
people.  The  lads  have  been  in  Babylon  three 
years,  and  in  their  examinations  have  always 
won  the  highest  marks.  They  are  in  the 
personal  service  of  the  king  and  already  have 
positions  of  authority.  What  are  their  names? 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego. 

We  are  interrupted  by  shouts  and  cheers 
from  persons  outside  the  palace.  Crowds  of 
people  are  pushing  toward  an  open  square  of 
the  city  where  stands  a  huge  image  of  gold. 
Let  us  follow  them.  There  is  a  burst  of  music ; 
the  blare  of  the  cornet  and  the  shrill  pipe  of 
the  flute  rise  above  it  all.  Why  do  all  the 
people  go  down  upon  their  knees  and  hold  up 
their  hands  in  worship  to  the  golden  idol  as 
they  hear  the  cornet's  call? 

It  is  the  king's  command.  All  who  do  not 
obey  are  to  "be  cast  into  the  midst  of  a  burn- 
ing fiery  furnace." 


274        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

You  look  around  for  our  three  lads  from 
Jerusalem,  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego, 
and  cannot  find  them.  Let  us  go  back  to  their 
room  and  see  if  they  are  there. 

Yes,  but  no  longer  studying  or  chatting 
pleasantly  with  one  another.  Their  faces  are 
very  serious,  but  they  are  not  sad  or  frightened. 
A  messenger  from  the  king  is  with  them.  He 
has  said  that  because  they  had  not  worshiped 
the  golden  image  the  king  was  angry,  and  that 
they  must  come  before  him  and  give  the  reason 
for  their  disobedience. 

Let  us  follow  them  into  the  king's  presence. 
They  bow  before  the  furious  king,  then  rise 
and  wait  to  hear  him  speak.  The  soldiers  and 
guards  of  the  palace  wonder  why  these  lads 
do  not  beg  and  cringe  as  persons  who  offend 
the  king  usually  do.  The  smiling  courtiers 
are  waiting  to  hear  Nebuchadnezzar  condemn 
these  culprits  to  the  punishment  of  fire.  The 
captive  foreigners  have  been  favored  by  the 
king  and  have  positions  the  courtiers  covet. 

What!  Not  afraid  of  me  nor  of  my  power, 
thinks  the  king;  and  so  he  asks:  "Who  is  that 
God  that  shall  deliver  you  out  of  my  hands?" 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  275 

Shadrach,    Meshach,    and    Abed-nego    are 
not  looking  at  the  cruel  face  of  the  king.     They 
are  thinking  of  a  song  of  David  which  they 
had  often  sung  in  the  temple  at  Jerusalem: 
"    .    .    .    .   O  Jehovah! 

....   Thou  art  my  God. 

Make  thy  face  to  shine  upon  thy  servant." 

Not  the  face  of  a  vindictive  king  but  the 
face  of  Jehovah  was  what  they  saw. 

Shall  they  kneel  and  ask  favors  of  a  help- 
less block  of  wood  or  gold  because  a  king 
requires  it — a  king  who  is  himself  helpless  in 
Jehovah's  presence? 

Our  captive  youths  remember  that  they 
and  their  people  are  in  Babylon  because  they 
had  served  idols  instead  of  obeying  the  laws 
of  Jehovah,  the  invisible  God,  of  whom  no 
image  can  be  made.  Also,  had  not  Solomon 
prayed  when  he  dedicated  his  costly  temple: 
1 '  If  thy  people  ....  make  supplication  unto 
thee  in  the  land  of  them  that  carried  them 
captive,  saying,  '  We  have  sinned '  .  .  .  .  then 
hear  thou  their  prayer  and  their  supplication 
.  .  .  and  maintain  their  cause?" 


276        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Had  not  Jeremiah  told  them  that  doing 
evil  only  makes  more  evil,  and  that  it  was 
foolishness  to  do  wrong  and  expect  good  to 
result?  Why,  that  was  as  foolish  as  saying 
twice  two  is  five! 

"Is  it  of  purpose,"  Nebuchadnezzar  asks 
them,  "that  ye  serve  not  my  god,  nor  worship 
the  golden  image  which  I  have  set  up?" 

The  three  boys  with  one  voice  answer, 
"O  Nebuchadnezzar,  we  have  no  need  to 
answer  thee  in  this  matter.  If  it  be  so,  our 
God  whom  we  serve  is  able  to  deliver  us  from 
the  burning  fiery  furnace;  and  he  will  deliver 
us  out  of  thy  hand,  O  king.  But  if  not,  be  it 
known  unto  thee,  O  king,  that  we  will  not 
serve  thy  gods,  nor  worship  the  golden  image 
which  thou  hast  set  up." 

"Then  was  Nebuchadnezzar  full  of  fury 
.  .  .  .  And  he  commanded  certain  mighty 
men  ....  to  cast  them  into  the  burning 
fiery  furnace." 

The  king  is  anxious  to  show  his  power,  so 
anxious  that  he  does  not  give  the  men  who 
execute  his  orders  time  to  protect  themselves 
against  the  awful  heat.  As  they  open  the 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  277 

top  of  the  furnace  and  hurl  in  the  brave  lads, 
bound  hand  and  foot,  the  fiery  tongues  shoot 
upward  and  burn  to  death  the  soldiers  of  the 
king. 

Watch  the  king  from  a  safe  distance  as 
he  peers  into  the  furnace.  Its  fiery  breath 
even  from  where  he  sits  scorches  his  flesh. 
But  why  does  he  start  and  gaze  with  wide- 
open  eyes  into  its  depths?  Hot  as  the  flame 
is,  his  face  is  whitening  and  he  trembles  with 
terror.  See !  His  knees  shake  under  him.  His 
voice  is  hoarse  as,  rising,  he  points  to  the  door 
of  the  great  oven  and  says,  "Did  not  we  cast 
three  men  bound  into  the  midst  of  the  fire?" 
'True,  O  king,"  is  the  answer. 

He  leans  heavily  upon  one  of  his  soldiers. 
The  mighty  monarch,  the  wave  of  whose  hand 
means  life  or  death  to  his  subjects,  is  weak  as 
a  straw  driven  before  the  wind.  He  lifts  his 
head  and  listens  as  a  song  of  triumph  comes 
from  the  furnace  mouth:  "They  shall  not  be 
confounded  who  put  their  trust  in  thee." 

"I  see  four  men  loose,  walking  in  the 
midst  of  the  fire,  and  they  have  no  hurt;  and 
the  ....  fourth  is  like  a  son  of  the  gods," 


278        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Nebuchadnezzar  replies  to  his  questioning 
soldiers. 

He  springs  to  the  furnace  mouth  in  spite  of 
the  outstretched  hands  of  his  courtiers,  who 
fear  he  may  be  harmed  by  the  flames  which 
like  a  red  mountain  tower  above  them. 

"Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  ye 
servants  of  the  Most  High  God,  come  forth, 
and  come  hither,"  he  entreats. 

And  they  came  forth,  the  king  retreating 
slowly  from  them  as  they  approached  him. 

Nebuchadnezzar  is  afraid  as  he  asks  him- 
self the  question,  what  mighty  power  is  this 
before  whom  his  will  is  worth  no  more  than 
that  of  his  most  helpless  slave?  He  thinks 
that  if  this  power  be  as  cruel  as  himself,  he  has 
need  to  tremble,  for  it  may  destroy  him  as 
readily  as  it  preserved  the  three  lads. 

Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego  came 
forth  unharmed.  "The  fire  had  no  power 
upon  their  bodies,  nor  was  the  hair  of  their 
head  singed,  neither  were  their  "  hosen"  changed, 
nor  had  the  smell  of  fire  passed  on  them." 

It  was  but  lately  that  the  king's  wrath  had 
condemned  these  youths  to  death  because 


TWICE  TWO  IS  FIVE  279 

they  had  not  obeyed  his  whims.  All  was 
changed  now.  He  knew  nothing  of  mercy; 
vengeance  was  the  law  of  this  heathen  king. 
His  gods  taught  him  nothing  better,  and  in  the 
same  way  that  he  thought  of  his  own  gods,  so 
did  he  think  of  the  God  of  the  Hebrew  captives. 
He  felt  it  was  not  best  to  anger  the  God  who 
could  save  as  Jehovah  had  saved,  and  so  he 
spoke  kindly  to  the  lads,  saying,  "Blessed  be 
the  God  of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego!" 

Nebuchadnezzar  had  often  heard  these  lads 
talking  of  God  and  had  laughed  at  their  faith. 
Could  any  power  equal  his,  the  king's,  he  had 
asked  himself?  He  had  been  answered  and 
was  silenced. 

"How  is  it  that  you  were  not  hurt?"  he 
asked  the  youths,  and  they  replied,  "Once  a 
king  of  our  nation,  David  was  his  name,  was 
delivered  from  a  great  danger  and  afterward 
thanked  Jehovah,  saying, 
" '  The  angel  of  Jehovah  encampeth  round  about 

them  that  fear  him, 
And  delivereth  them.' 

"Of  this  we  thought,  O  king,  and  'the 
angel  of  Jehovah  came  down  into  the  oven 

19 


28o        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

....  and  made  the  midst  of  the  furnace 
as  it  had  been  a  moist  whistling  wind." 

"I  make  a  decree,"  said  Nebuchadnezzar, 
"that  every  people,  nation,  and  language  which 
speak  anything  amiss  against  the  God  of 
Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  shall  be 
cut  in  pieces  ....  because  there  is  no 
other  god  that  is  able  to  deliver  after  this  sort." 
Then  the  king  gave  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and 
Abed-nego  high  offices  in  the  province  of 
Babylon. 

Let  us  go  again  and  stand  in  the  empty 
room  from  which  our  lads  have  gone.  They 
will  not  come  back,  for  they  are  no  longer  cap- 
tives. We  will  drop  the  curtain  which  hides 
their  door  and  slip  quietly  out  of  the  palace 
into  the  streets  of  the  city.  Hand  in  hand 
we  walk  until  we  reach  the  city  gates.  But 
before  we  go  our  separate  ways  will  you  tell 
me,  was  it  the  boys  or  the  king  who  said, 
"Twice  two  is  five?" 


AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE 

DANIEL  AND  THE  KING'S  OFFICER 

It  was  night  in  Babylon.  The  soldiers 
patrolling  the  walls  had  called  the  hour  of  mid- 
night, and  the  watchmen  in  the  towers  had 
answered,  "All  is  well."  Even  a  cock  in  the 
distance  had  saluted  this  hour  of  darkness  with 
a  lusty  crow.  It  was  the  time  to  be  at  rest,  but 
Babylon,  the  queen  city  of  Chaldea,  knew  not 
quietness.  Through  her  streets  were  reeling 
boisterous  revelers  whose  drunken  shouts  dis- 
turbed a  few  citizens  who  preferred  sleep  to 
midnight  orgies.  Babylon's  armies  again  had 
been  victorious,  and  should  she  not  celebrate 
the  homecoming  of  her  soldiers  with  their 
thousands  of  Hebrew  captives? 

Into  the  temple  of  their  gods  they  had  carried 
the  gold  and  silver  vessels  used  in  the  worship 
of  Jehovah.  Jerusalem  had  been  stripped  of 
her  beauty  and  her  wealth,  her  walls  destroyed, 
her  temple  and  every  house  of  value  burned. 
The  poor,  the  weak,  and  the  sick  had  been 
abandoned,  left  to  starve  and  die  amid  the 
desolate  ruin  of  their  city.  But  the  youth  of 

281 


282         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Judah,  her  princes  and  nobles,  those  with 
wealth  and  those  skilled  in  science  or  in  some 
useful  art,  were  brought  to  Babylon  to  serve 
its  king. 

There  were  four  of  these  captives  who  had 
not  been  herded  with  the  others.  As  the  sen- 
try's call  told  the  midnight  hour  they  sat 
together  in  a  room  of  Nebuchadnezzar's  palace, 
their  heads  almost  touching  as  they  repeated 
among  themselves  the  news  the  high  chamber- 
lain of  the  king  had  brought  them  when  he 
served  their  supper. 

"We  cannot  do  this  thing,"  said  Daniel, 
"for  it  is  dishonoring  our  God."  Shadrach, 
Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  his  companions  in 
captivity,  were  silent.  Daniel,  two  years  older 
than  they,  had  always  taken  the  lead.  He  was 
a  mere  lad  of  about  eighteen,  to  be  sure,  but  as 
the  lads  studied  together  in  the  schools  of  the 
prophets  at  Jerusalem,  he  had  always  been 
selected  by  his  teachers  to  do  every  impor- 
tant work.  "We  are  here  in  Babylon  because 
Israel  did  not  keep  Jehovah's  laws,"  continued 
Daniel,  "and  although  our  prophets  have  said 
our  nation  should  return  home  after  seventy 


AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE  283 

years,  it  will  be  because  here  we  have  obeyed 
His  precepts." 

"But  we  are  prisoners,"  replied  his  com- 
panions, "and  must  do  the  will  of  our  master." 

Daniel's  clear  eyes  looked  fearlessly  into 
theirs.  His  parents  and  theirs  had  perished  in 
the  ruins  left  behind  them,  but  these  parents 
had  belonged  to  the  royal  blood  of  Israel  and  had 
taught  these  lads  Jehovah's  laws.  Daniel  did 
not  know  what  fear  was;  he  trusted  in  his  God 
and  knew  that  meant  safety.  When  he  had 
knelt  at  prayer,  his  mother  had  told  him,1 
"Human  terror  precipitates  loss,  but  who  trusts 
in  the  Lord  will  be  safe."  It  was  not  wise  to 
be  afraid,  he  told  his  friends;  that  would  only 
make  matters  worse.  The  three  younger  lads, 
in  doubt,  shook  their  heads.  They  did  not 
intend  to  yield  to  the  king's  wishes,  but  how 
could  they  avoid  doing  so? 

Daniel  laughed  cheerily.  He  never  seemed 
to  be  sad,  as  every  good  thing  with  him  seemed 
possible.  Because  of  this  he  had  many  friends. 
Even  the  king  had  admired  the  lad's  spirit,  and 
the  chamberlain  and  steward  loved  him.  When 

1Ferrar  Fenton 


284        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

people  really  please  God  they  at  the  same  time 
please  man.  Many  years  before,  had  not 
Solomon,  the  wise,  said,  "When  a  man's  ways 
please  Jehovah,  he  maketh  even  his  enemies  to 
be  at  peace  with  him?" 

So  Daniel  this  night  encouraged  his  com- 
panions and  told  them  that  when  morning  came 
he  would  have  a  plan  for  them  to  act  upon. 

What  was  it  the  king  required  of  them? 

He  admired  their  beauty,  their  wisdom, 
and  the  courage  they  had  shown.  Not  a  com- 
plaint had  they  uttered  during  the  tedious  march 
from  Jerusalem  to  Babylon,  and,  although  the 
officers  on  the  way  often  had  been  cruel,  not 
once  had  any  one  of  the  lads  cringed  or  begged 
a  favor. 

Such  spirit  as  that  will  serve  me  well, 
thought  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  I  shall  have 
these  lads  instructed  in  all  the  learning  of  the 
Chaldeans,  so  that  after  three  years'  training 
they  may  take  their  places  in  my  court. 

A  king's  favorite,  to  sit  at  the  king's  table  — 
that  is,  feed  on  his  dainties — could  anything  be 
more  fortunate?  said  the  other  prisoners  not 
so  favored. 


AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE  285 

At  the  king's  table,  yes.  What  the  others 
enviously  coveted,  to  Daniel  and  his  three  com- 
panions was  a  sin.  Could  they  avoid  it?  We 
shall  see. 

Daniel  was  a  determined  youth.  He,  like 
David,  had  a  purpose  and  an  aim  and,  like  that 
king  of  olden  time,  he  meant  to  hit  the  mark  at 
which  he  aimed. 

Did  he  do  so?  Let  me  answer  by  asking 
you  to  look  about  you.  Are  the  people  who 
shilly  shally  from  one  thing  to  another,  who  are 
never  quite  sure  of  what  they  want  to  do,  the 
ones  upon  whom  you  can  depend?  Or  is  it  the 
persons  with  fixed  purposes,  who  turn  neither  to 
the  right  nor  to  the  left  but  go  straight  forward 
to  their  goal,  in  whom  you  have  confidence? 
In  our  day  we  call  such  people  successful,  but, 
after  all,  it  is  only  knowing  one's  own  mind  and 
sticking  to  it.  Nothing  very  peculiar  about 
that,  is  there,  —  except  that  it  is  odd  so  few 
people  do  it? 

In  the  morning  when  the  steward  brought 
them  the  rich  food,  the  same  as  that  served  at 
the  royal  table,  Daniel  and  his  three  friends 
refused  to  eat. 


286        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

"We  are  defiled  if  we  eat  it,"  said  Daniel. 
"Give  us  only  water,  and  with  it  herbs  and 
grains." 

To  the  steward  this  request  sounded  like 
asking  that  they  might  be  allowed  to  starve  to 
death,  so  he  replied,  "I  shall  forfeit  my  head  if 
you  do  not  eat.  Your  pale  faces  and  hollow 
eyes  will  show  that  you  are  not  fed  or  cared  for." 

"Give  us  ten  days'  trial,"  urged  Daniel, 
"and  see  if  we  do  not  at  the  end  of  that  time 
look  as  sound  and  in  as  good  health  as  the  other 
lads  for  whom  the  king  has  appointed  this  rich 
food." 

The  steward  consented.  He  believed  that 
Daniel  was  wrong,  but  the  youth  had  always 
kept  his  word  and  had  dealt  kindly  and  justly 
with  everyone,  so  it  could  do  no  harm  to  humor 
him  in  his  request.  The  ten  days  over,  the  lads 
would  be  glad  to  have  some  of  the  king's  dain- 
ties and  to  drink  his  wines. 

Daniel's  fellow  captives,  with  the  exception 
of  Shadrach,  Meshach,  and  Abed-nego,  made 
much  fun  of  him.  "Why  not  enjoy  these  rich 
feasts?"  they  said  to  him.  "Make  as  much  of 
this  opportunity  as  you  can;  it  will  be  hard 


DANIEL 


AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE  287 

enough  for  you  when  you  begin  to  be  in  the 
king's  service,"  were  their  words. 

"  Let  us  eat  and  drink,  for  tomorrow  we  die," 
was  not  the  rule  of  Daniel's  life  nor  of  that  of 
his  three  friends.  They  understood  why  their 
faces  at  the  end  of  the  ten  days  "appeared 
fairer,  and  they  were  fatter  in  flesh." 

You  are  thinking  that  you  also  know,  and 
if  I  should  ask  you  to  tell  me,  you  would  say, 
"Man  doth  not  live  by  bread  only,  but  by 
everything  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth 
of  Jehovah  doth  man  live." 

Each  day  that  they  had  eaten  their  simple 
food  the  chamberlain  and  steward  had  looked 
at  them  anxiously.  Did  the  lads  show  signs  of 
weakness?  Were  they  listless  and  dull  in  their 
studies?  Not  a  bit  of  it.  Instead,  they  were 
ahead  in  all  their  classes,  and  could  study  harder 
and  work  longer  without  feeling  tired  than  any 
of  the  other  boys.  The  king's  officers  were 
astonished.  They  knew  nothing  of  self-control ; 
their  gods  taught  them  only  self-indulgence. 

When  the  ten  days  were  over,  the  steward 
with  a  beaming  face  gave  them  their  breakfast 
of  pulse,  or  grains,  and  water.  Now  he  was 


288        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

certain  that  Daniel's  words  to  him  were  true, 
and  that  it  was  safe  never  again  to  offer  him  and 
the  three  other  lads  any  of  the  king's  dainties. 

What  had  Daniel  said  to  the  steward?  He 
had  told  him  that  obeying  Jehovah  harmed  no 
one;  that  the  heads  of  the  officers  would  not  be 
imperiled  by  granting  him  his  wish.  Everyone 
who  did  right  was  not  cursed,  but  instead  was 
blessed. 

The  three  years  of  training  passed  swiftly 

by  and  the  lads  were  now  daily  waiting  to  be 

i 

summoned  to  the  king's  presence.  He  would 
examine  them  and  try  in  every  way  to  trip  them 
with  hard  questions.  Many  a  lad  returned 
from  that  royal  council-chamber  trembling  with 
fright  and  with  despair  in  his  eyes  because  he 
had  not  been  accepted.  To  be  refused  meant 
bitter  slavery. 

One  night  the  curtain  which  shielded  their 
room  from  view  was  hastily  drawn  aside  and  a 
harsh  voice  commanded,  "The  king  desires 
your  presence.  Be  ready  at  once  to  meet  him." 
What  royal  caprice,  what  selfish  whim  was  this 
that  at  this  late  hour  he  summoned  the  youths 
to  him? 


AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE  289 

To  be  examined  by  the  king,  of  course.  The 
envious  among  their  fellow  students  said  that, 
taken  by  surprise  as  they  were,  they  must  surely 
fail. 

Daniel  arose  quietly  and  as  quietly  replied 
to  the  messenger,  "We  are  ready."  Then  the 
four  lads  followed  the  page  into  the  council- 
chamber.  The  king  looked  at  them  with  favor. 
But  he  meant  to  be  severe  with  them,  and  if 
they  failed  he  would  have  no  mercy.  They 
were  Hebrews  and  his  captives.  He  had  for- 
bidden the  mention  of  Jehovah's  name  among 
his  prisoners,  and  yet  some  rumors  had  reached 
his  ears  that  it  was  in  Jehovah  that  these  lads 
trusted.  Their  bodies  did  not  tremble,  their 
voices  were  firm  and  steady  as  without  hesi- 
tance  they  answered  the  king's  questions. 
There  was  no  timid  shrinking  with  downcast 
eyes  as  they  stood  before  him — this  monarch 
whose  word  could  command  for  them  life  or 
death,  slavery  or  freedom.  Instead,  they  stood 
erect,  graceful,  and  beautiful  in  their  fearless- 
ness, their  clear,  kindly  eyes  looking  directly 
into  those  of  the  king.  The  court  held  its 
breath  in  amazement,  expecting  every  moment 


29o        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

that  Nebuchadnezzar  would  strike  them  dead 
in  his  wrath  at  what  his  courtiers  called  impu- 
dence. Servility  was  all  this  court  knew  when 
it  dealt  with  kings.  But  the  brave  youths 
were  unharmed  for  the  king  admired  their 
courage.  The  king  was  a  conqueror,  and  he 
knew  another  conquering  spirit  when  he  saw  it. 
It  is  only  a  coward  who  despises  courage,  espe- 
cially when  it  is  tempered  with  courtesy. 

The  wise  men  of  Chaldea  were  present,  the 
astrologers — those  who  search  the  heavens;  the 
soothsayers — those  who  foretell  events;  and 
the  magicians;  all  were  ready  to  detect  any 
failure.  Some  leaned  forward  in  their  eager- 
ness to  be  the  first  to  correct  any  error  Daniel 
and  his  friends  might  make  in  their  answers  to 
the  king's  questions  and  to  theirs.  The  test 
over,  the  delighted  king  leaned  back  in  his  seat 
with  satisfaction  and  told  the  court  herald  to 
announce  that  these  four  youths  had  exceeded 
even  the  wise  men  of  his  realm  in  their  knowl- 
edge and  understanding.  These  are  fine  youths 
for  my  court  and  for  my  service,  thought  the 
king.  Then  he  dismissed  them  after  appoint- 
ing them  to  places  of  honor  in  his  household. 


AT  THE  KING'S  TABLE  291 

Let  us  follow  them  to  their  room.  As  they 
enter  their  door  the  sentry  upon  the  city  walls 
calls  the  hour  of  midnight,  and  is  answered  by 
the  watchman  in  the  tower  repeating  the  wel- 
come words,  "All  is  well."  In  the  distance,  as 
it  did  three  years  ago  this  very  night,  a  cock 
crows  its  greeting  to  the  hour. 

Daniel  turned  to  his  companions  and  lifted 
his  face  and  arms  heavenward.  They  know 
the  gesture;  it  is  the  one  of  prayer.  As  his  lips 
move  we  know  without  hearing  what  it  is  he 
says  within  his  heart:  "With  prayer  have  we 
prevailed  with  God  and  with  men;  blessed  be 
the  name  of  Jehovah  forever." 


MEASURED 

BELSHAZZAR'S  FEAST 

Stories  of  kings  are  usually  not  very  interest- 
ing, filled  as  they  are  with  wars  and  troubles  of 
many  kinds.  Soldiers,  martial  music,  the  roar 
of  cannon,  glittering  spears,  and  shining  shields 
in  large  part  make  up  the  history  of  kings.  Vel- 
vet and  ermine  and  golden  crowns,  heartaches 
and  disappointments,  instead  of  joy  and  gladness, 
are  the  portion  of  those  who  rule  with  a  royal 
scepter  in  their  hands. 

There  was  once  a  king  so  great  in  his  own 
eyes  that  he  thought  of  himself  and  his  kingdom 
as  superior  to  everyone  and  everything. 

Beautiful  Babylon,  wonderful  city  of  the 
plain!  Was  she  not  called  "The  Mistress  of 
Kingdoms,"  and  had  she  not  conquered  all  the 
nations  against  whom  she  had  fought?  Were 
not  her  astrologers,  her  magicians,  and  her  coun- 
selors famous  for  their  wisdom,  and  was  she  not 
skilled  in  all  the  learning  of  the  Chaldeans? 

We  have  heard  of  people  being  drunk  with 
wine,  but  did  you  ever  know  of  a  city  so  drunken 
with  a  sense  of  it  own  importance  that  it  said, 

292 


MEASURED  293 

"I  shall  be  mistress  forever.  I  am,  and  there 
is  none  else  beside  me?"  a  city  that  trusted  in 
its  wickedness,  saying,  "None  seeth  me"? 

These  were  the  words  of  Babylon,  queen  city 
of  the  Chaldeans.  This  city  and  Belshazzar, 
her  king,  tell  us  a  most  fascinating  story.  They 
had  no  intention  of  telling  one,  nor  did  they 
know  that  thousands  of  years  after  they  had 
told  it,  little  people  and  big  people  would  be 
interested  in  reading  it. 

"How  can  people  tell  a  story  and  not  know 
that  they  are  telling  it?" 

The  answer  is  so  plain  that  I  am  surprised 
you  ask  the  question.  When  you  use  your  eyes 
and  your  ears,  don't  you  learn  many  things 
from  people  and  objects  around  you  when  they 
do  not  know  they  are  telling  you  anything? 
Sometimes,  perhaps,  you  laugh  to  yourself  over 
what  you  have  discovered  and  everyone  else 
thinks  you  know  nothing  about.  Everybody, 
and  everything,  has  a  story  to  tell  about  itself. 
Look!  Listen!  You  may  be  the  one  who  will 
hear  it. 

Belshazzar  lived  when  the  world  was  young, 
before  America  was  discovered,  or  even  Europe 


294        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

was  anything  more  than  a  thinly  settled  wilder- 
ness inhabited  mostly  by  barbarians.  He  was 
very  powerful,  and  thought  there  was  nothing 
in  all  the  world  as  mighty  as  the  capital  of  his 
kingdom,  the  beautiful  Babylon. 

And  there  were  many  reasons  for  his  think- 
ing so — so  many,  in  fact,  that  he  forgot  the  few 
good  reasons  why  it  was  safer  to  be  humble  than 
to  be  proud.  The  kings  of  his  country  had  con- 
quered the  other  nations,  made  captives  of  their 
people,  seized  their  writings,  destroyed  their 
libraries,  and  leveled  to  the  ground  all  the  beauty 
and  magnificence  of  their  cities.  Anything  and 
everything  that  was  costly  and  of  value  had 
been  carried  away  from  the  conquered  cities 
and  brought  to  Babylon  that  she  might  be 
enriched. 

She  and  her  king  were  really  great  robbers, 
and  did  not  know  that  the  power  of  which  they 
boasted  could  last  only  until  another  king  and 
country  grew  strong  enough  to  overcome 
them. 

"Their  libraries!"  you  say.  "How  could 
people  have  libraries  when  they  had  no  books?" 

But  they  had  books,  many  of  them. 


MEASURED  295 

"  But  there  was  no  paper  at  that  time.  How 
could  books  be  made?"  you  ask. 

They  used  clay  tablets  or  flat,  square 
stones  with  words  cut  into  them  by  sharp  tools. 
And  sometimes  they  used  the  dried  and  pre- 
pared skins  of  animals.  If  you  had  wanted 
to  draw  a  book  out  of  a  library  you  might  have 
had  to  carry  home  with  you  a  box  filled  with 
clay  tablets  which  gave  you  only  one  chapter 
of  the  book  you  wished  to  read.  Or,  had  you 
been  allowed  to  draw  out  the  whole  volume 
at  once,  you  might  have  had  to  hire  several 
people  to  carry  home  for  you  as  many  as  a 
dozen  boxes. 

"What  a  nuisance  those  clay  tablets  must 
have  been!"  you  say. 

No,  they  were  valuable,  and  it  is  because  of 
them  that  you  may  know  something  to-day  of 
Babylon  and  the  glory  of  her  kingdom. 

People  in  those  days  enjoyed  setting  fire  to 
everything  belonging  to  their  enemies.  It  was 
the  surest  way  of  entirely  destroying  anything. 
But  the  clay  tablets  with  their  inscriptions 
escaped  the  fire,  were  buried  deep  under  the 
rubbish,  and  centuries  after,  when  they  were 

20 


296        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

unearthed,  could  be  read  as  plainly  as  on  the 
day  they  were  written. 

All  the  countries  round  about  envied  the 
greatness  of  Babylon;  and  the  Medes  and  the 
Persians,  her  powerful  neighbors,  had  decided 
that  they  would  conquer  her  and  divide  her 
wealth  among  themselves. 

It  was  for  this  reason  that,  at  the  time  of  our 
story,  Belshazzar  and  his  lords  were  shut  up  in 
Babylon  and  the  gates  closed  so  that  no  one 
could  go  in  or  out. 

They  were  not  afraid;  why  should  they  be? 
Was  not  Babylon,  the  mighty,  able  to  defend 
herself?  The  Medes  and  the  Persians  might 
hammer  away  for  years  at  her  massive  walls  and 
never  be  able  to  make  a  break  in  them.  The 
Babylonians  themselves  knew  of  no  instrument 
of  war  that  could  destroy  walls  three  hundred 
feet  high  and  seventy-five  feet  thick,  such  as 
theirs  were;  and  of  course  no  other  kingdom 
had  any  knowledge  not  possessed  by  them. 

"They  might  starve,"  you  say. 

They  were  not  in  the  least  danger  of  starva- 
tion. A  city  fifteen  miles  square  had  plenty  of 
room  in  it  for  great  storehouses  which  were 


MEASURED  297 

filled  with  food  enough  to  last  for  years.  No, 
the  people  felt  very  secure,  and  may  have  had 
some  contempt  for  the  army  outside  which  was 
so  foolish  as  to  think  that  Babylon  could  be 
overthrown. 

Babylon  of  Chaldea,  proud  of  her  learning, 
had  overlooked  some  wisdom.  It  was  of  no 
importance,  she  may  have  thought. 

''What  was  that  wisdom?" 

Just  a  few  prophecies  made  years  before  by 
some  simple  Hebrew  wise  men  whom  we  have 
since  called  prophets.  And  these  words  were 
treasured  in  the  minds  of  the  Israelite  captives 
living  in  Babylon. 

"What  were  those  prophecies?" 

That  all  wickedness,  injustice,  and  worship 
of  idols  must  cease.  Even  if  they  seemed  to 
conquer  for  a  time,  it  was  only  for  a  time,  for 
Jehovah,  the  God  of  righteousness,  would  surely 
destroy  everything  that  was  not  good. 

The  Hebrew  captives  had  often  repeated 
Jeremiah's  words  at  their  hour  of  prayer  down 
by  the  riverside — for  they  had  no  temple  in 
Babylon  —  and  once  Belshazzar  overheard  them 
as  he  and  his  lords  walked  on  the  river's  banks. 


298        OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

For  a  moment  only  was  the  king  disturbed. 
He  would  not  interfere  with  their  worship,  and 
as  for  the  prophecy,  it  was  only  a  Hebrew  one 
anyway  and  he  need  not  feel  distressed  at  the 
words  or  at  the  expectations  of  his  captives. 

Would  you  like  to  know  what  Jeremiah  had 
prophesied  against  Babylon? 

"And  these  nations  shall  serve  the  king  of 
Babylon  seventy  years.  And  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  when  seventy  years  are  accomplished,  that 
I  will  punish  the  king  of  Babylon,  and  that 
nation,  saith  Jehovah,  for  their  iniquity  .... 
and  I  will  make  it  desolate  for  ever  ....  and 
I  will  recompense  them  according  to  their  deeds, 
and  according  to  the  work  of  their  hands." 

To  be  sure,  thought  Belshazzar,  the  seventy 
years  have  nearly  passed,  but  my  kingdom  is 
mighty  and  my  people  fear  me. 

True,  O  king,  they  do  fear  you,  and  for  that 
reason  you  cannot  trust  them.  Even  our  girls 
and  boys  of  to-day  know  better  than  to  feel  safe 
for  such  a  reason. 

Wandering  about  the  city,  playing  games, 
and  giving  feasts  soon  grew  very  tiresome  to 
Belshazzar.  The  city  was  large  and  there  was 


MEASURED  299 

much  to  see  and  to  do  in  it,  but  when  one  is  a 
prisoner  the  most  attractive  place  becomes 
unpleasant.  And  the  mighty  king  really  was  a 
prisoner  within  his  own  walls;  to  open  the  city 
gates  meant  to  let  the  Persians  in. 

What  should  he  do?  He  would  give  "a 
great  feast  to  a  thousand  of  his  lords."  The 
whole  city  should  have  days  of  reveling,  wine 
should  flow  like  water,  and  food  in  abundance 
should  be  upon  all  tables.  It  should  not  be  an 
ordinary  feast,  but  one  whose  splendor  should 
dazzle  his  people  and  show  the  enemy  outside 
how  little  they  troubled  Babylon.  Another 
reason  for  giving  this  feast  was  that  it  was  the 
time  of  one  of  the  nation's  great  religious 
festivals. 

So  the  invitations  were  given  and  the 
thousand  lords  came.  Each  one  as  he  entered 
the  palace  halls  was  greeted  with  a  kiss  by 
hosts  appointed  by  the  king  to  welcome  the 
guests. 

The  palace  gardens  were  heavy  with  the  per- 
fume of  flowers  and  spices,  and  blazing  torches 
in  the  hands  of  slaves  made  all  glow  and  glitter 
like  a  scene  in  fairyland.  The  helmets  and 


3oo         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

shields  of  soldiers  on  guard  flashed  as  brightly 
as  a  good  holiday  rubbing  could  make  them. 
Slave  girls  richly  dressed  anointed  the  beards, 
faces,  and  garments  of  the  guests  with  perfumed 
ointment.  It  was  a  gay  scene.  No  expense 
had  been  spared  to  make  the  nights  and  days 
devoted  to  the  feast  one  continuous  round  of 
revelry. 

Dancing  girls  in  filmy  skirts  and  spangled 
scarfs,  whose  ankles  and  arms  sparkled  with 
costly  jewels,  amused  Belshazzar  and  his  nobles, 
and  shrill  music  from  flute  and  pipe  charmed 
their  ears. 

Then  Belshazzar  commanded  that  the  gold 
and  silver  vessels  once  used  in  the  temple  at 
Jerusalem  be  brought  in,  the  vessels  his  grand- 
father, Nebuchadnezzar,  carried  to  Babylon 
when  Jerusalem  was  conquered  and  Israel 
made  captive.  So  they  were  brought,  and  the 
gold  and  silver  vessels  never  used  except  in  the 
house  of  prayer,  were  handled  as  cups  in  a  drink- 
ing bout. 

Sacred  to  Jehovah,  the  God  of  wnom  no 
image  could  be  made,  intended  for  the  service 
of  Him  who  was  the  Judge  of  the  whole  earth, 


MEASURED  301 

and  whose  presence  could  be  felt  but  never  seen, 
these  bowls  were  profaned  by  the  coarse  toasts 
given  by  Belshazzar  and  his  guests  to  their  stu- 
pid, senseless  gods  of  wood  and  stone. 

"Nebo  and  Bel,  are  they  not  mighty?" 
shouted  the  king.  "Let  all  give  praise  to  these 
our  gods!" 

"Let  us  sing  to  the  god  of  good  luck  and 
make  merry  over  the  wondrous  beauty  of  our 
idols,"  chimed  in  the  nobles. 

The  few  Hebrew  guests  present  said  nothing 
at  this  desecration  of  the  temple's  gold  and  sil- 
ver vessels;  nor  did  they  join  in  the  toast  to  the 
helpless  idols  these  Babylonians  called  upon. 

"Why?"  you  ask. 

Because  seventy  years  among  these  heathen 
people  had  taught  them  that  gods  of  wood  and 
stone  had  no  power,  and  that  Jehovah  was  a 
living  God  even  if  He  could  not  be  seen.  When 
they  had  trusted  in  Him,  they  had  proved  that 
His  promises  were  true,  but  the  stupid  images 
made  by  the  Chaldeans  had  never  done  any 
good  to  anyone. 

You  may  be  wondering  what  the  difference 
is  between  golden  idols  and  golden  bowls. 


302         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

"Gold  is  gold,"  you  say,  "whether  it  is  an  idol 
or  a  dish." 

True,  but  they  were  used  differently.  A 
gun  is  not  a  bad  thing  when  it  is  used  aright, 
but  we  all  know  what  a  terrible  thing  it  can  be 
when  it  is  used  in  a  wrong  way.  So  with  the 
Israelites  of  long  ago;  in  their  temple  whenever 
they  used  their  golden  vessels  they  thought  of 
Jehovah  as  a  God  of  mercy,  justice,  aud  truth. 
The  heathen  idols  meant  vengeance  and  cruelty, 
gods  that  really  were  no  better  than  the  people 
who  worshiped  them. 

Babylon  had  treated  Israel  well;  the  captive 
people  had  enjoyed  every  advantage  of  the 
Chaldean  schools.  Every  avenue  of  business 
was  open  to  them,  and  many  of  them  had 
grown  wealthy,  while  some  occupied  positions  of 
authority  in  the  kingdom.  One  thing,  how- 
ever, they  dared  not  do  except  among  them- 
selves; that  was,  to  speak  of  Jehovah. 

Belshazzar  thought  that  the  worship  of 
Israel's  God  had  been  crushed.  Poor,  stupid 
king,  as  dull  as  the  idols  he  worshiped!  You 
boys  and  girls,  I  know,  are  saying  the  same 
thing  and  asking  with  me,  "Couldn't  he  see 


MEASURED  303 

that  Jehovah  was  the  almighty  power  of  intelli- 
gence and  that  the  Babylonian  gods  were  the 
weakness  of  foolishness?" 

The  foolish  king!  Why  don't  I  call  him 
wicked?  Because  foolishness  and  wickedness 
here  mean  the  same  thing,  and  it  makes  little 
difference  which  word  we  use. 

Stop  for  a  moment  and  think.  Are  good 
thoughts  ever  foolish  thoughts,  and  are  wise 
actions  ever  wicked  actions? 

Belshazzar  watched  his  Hebrew  guests  as 
he  and  his  lords  drank  from  the  golden  goblets 
taken  from  the  temple.  They  do  not  object  or 
even  seem  angry;  surely  they  do  not  care, 
thought  the  king. 

"Why,  of  course  they  don't  care,"  you  are 
saying.  "They  know  the  seventy  years  have 
passed,  and  that  even  while  the  king  is  drinking, 
the  deliverer  of  Israel,  who  is  to  restore  them  to 
their  city  and  to  their  country,  is  standing  out- 
side the  gates  of  Babylon." 

"More  wine,  more  wine!"  cried  the  king 
and  his  guests.  "What  city  is  as  glorious  as 
Babylon  and  what  gods  are  as  great  as  ours?" 
The  wine  was  poured  as  king  and  people  lifted 


304         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

their  flagons,  singing;  "Let  us  honor  the  golden 
idols  and  those  of  wood  and  stone,  that  they  may 
live  forever!" 

A  wind  whistling  through  the  palace  halls 
made  the  flames  of  the  torches  leap  upward, 
flicker,  and  then  go  out.  One  single  candle- 
stick gleamed  in  the  darkness,  making  radiant 
the  wall  against  which  it  stood.  Swiftly  before 
the  eyes  of  Belshazzar  the  fingers  of  a  man's 
hand  wrote  upon  the  plaster:  "Mene,  Mene, 
Tekel,  Upharsin." 

These  words  were  from  the  learned  language 
of  the  Chaldeans,  the  tongue  in  which  their 
sciences  and  their  religion  were  written,  and  the 
wise  men  should  have  known  what  they  were. 

The  people  looked  at  one  another  as  if  ask- 
ing, "Is  there  no  one  here  who  can  read  this 
message?" 

Poor,  miserable  king,  what  had  he  been 
doing  all  his  life  that  he  could  not  read  the 
learned  tongue  of  his  own  people? 

I  think  I  can  hear  you  children  say,  "He 
hadn't  been  doing  anything  but  giving  feasts 
and  having  a  good  time,"  and  I  believe  you  are 
right. 


MEASURED  305 

Only  a  few  minutes  before  the  words  were 
written  on  the  wall  Belshazzar  had  been  singing 
his  own  praises.  Now  watch  him.  Is  it  not 
pitiable  to  see  the  mighty  monarch  shaking  and 
quivering  on  his  throne,  his  teeth  chattering,  and 
his  knees  knocking  together  as  he  implores  his 
servants  to  go  out  and  ask  the  wise  men  of 
Babylon  to  come  and  interpret  the  writing? 

They  came  at  his  call,  but  they  could  not 
help  him.  The  four  words  were  clear  enough: 
"Mene,  Mene,  Tekel,  Upharsin"  meant  "Num- 
bered, Numbered,  Weighed,  and  Divided." 

But  what  their  message  was  and  why  they 
were  on  the  wall  the  wise  men  could  not  tell. 

Then  the  queen  spoke,  saying,  "There  is  a 
man  in  thy  kingdom,  in  whom  is  the  spirit  of  the 
holy  gods;  and  in  the  days  of  thy  father  light 
and  understanding  and  wisdom  ....  were 
found  in  him;  and  the  king  Nebuchadnezzar 
thy  father  ....  made  him  master  of  the 
magicians  ....  Now  let  Daniel  be  called, 
and  he  will  show  the  interpretation." 

As  he  entered  Belshazzar's  presence  Daniel 
only  glanced  at  the  frightened  king,  the  white- 
faced  guests,  the  golden  goblets  of  the  temple 


306         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

overturned  on  the  floor,  which  was  red  with 
wine.  His  eyes  were  fixed  upon  the  handwriting 
upon  the  wall,  and  I  do  not  doubt  that  if  the 
king  and  his  lords  could  have  heard  what  the 
prophet  was  saying  as  his  lips  moved  and  a 
light  shone  in  his  face,  it  would  have  been  the 
words,  "Great  is  Jehovah  and  greatly  to  be 
praised!" 

Belshazzar  raised  his  hand  to  silence  the 
people  as  Daniel  spoke  these  words:  "Thou 
....  Belshazzar,  hast  not  humbled  thy  heart 
.  .  .  thou  hast  praised  the  gods  of  silver  and 
gold  ....  and  the  God  in  whose  hands  thy 
breath  is  ...  .hast  thou  not  glorified." 

The  king  and  his  court  leaned  forward  listen- 
ing. What  sound  was  that  which  fell  upon  the 
ears  of  all  in  the  palace  and  made  Daniel  pause 
as  he  interpreted  the  mystery  of  the  words  upon 
the  wall?  Only  a  threatening  murmur  in  the 
distance,  but  it  caused  the  hearts  of  Belshazzar 
and  his  lords  to  sicken  and  the  soldiers  to 
stiffen  their  hold  upon  their  swords.  A  sigh 
which  was  almost  a  moan  broke  from  the  lips  of 
the  king  and  his  company.  The  sound  grew 
louder  as  they  listened.  They  knew  it  well, 


MEASURED  307 

they  had  heard  it  often,  and  they  gloried 
in  it  when  it  came  from  the  people  they 
had  conquered. 

Again  the  king  commanded  silence  as  Daniel 
drew  closer  to  him  and  continued  speaking. 
The  people  were  uneasy.  They  wished  to  know 
the  meaning  of  those  words,  but  that  murmur 
which  every  moment  grew  louder  and  was  more 
like  a  roar  than  a  whisper,  had  frightened  them 
as  much  as  had  those  four  short  words  staring 
at  them  from  the  wall. 

"This  is  the  interpretation  of  the  thing," 
said  Daniel.  "Mene:  God  hath  numbered  thy 
kingdom,  and  brought  it  to  an  end.  Tekel: 
thou  are  weighed  in  the  balances,  and  art 
found  wanting.  Peres :  thy  kingdom  is  divided, 
and  given  to  the  Medes  and  Persians." 

Babylon  the  mighty,  that  had  destroyed 
others,  was  now  herself  to  be  destroyed.  Wick- 
edness is  a  game  by  which  even  the  winner  must 
at  last  perish.  With  the  measure  she  had  meted 
to  others  she  was  now  to  be  measured. 

The  proud  city  trusted  in  her  massive  walls 
and  had  never  stopped  to  think  that  the  cunning 
of  her  enemy  might  ever  try  to  break  them 


3o8         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

down.  Without  a  rupture  made  in  her  walls 
and  her  gates  still  barred,  Babylon  was  taken. 

How?  While  Belshazzar  was  looking  at 
his  walls  the  Persian  king  was  watching  the 
river  which  flowed  through  Babylon.  "Drain 
off  the  waters  and  let  my  army  in  through 
the  river  bed,"  the  Persian  had  commanded  his 
soldiers — and  the  work  was  done. 

"If  those  Babylonians  were  as  smart  as  they 
thought  they  were,  why  didn't  they  notice  that 
the  water  in  the  river  was  being  drawn  off?" 
you  ask  me. 

For  a  very  simple  reason.  You  see,  the  city 
kept  thinking  only  of  its  strong  points,  while 
Cyrus  the  Persian  thought  of  Babylon's  weak 
points. 

What  were  those  weak  points? 

Perhaps  the  greatest  of  them  was  —  and  I 
am  sure  every  girl  and  boy  will  agree  with  me — 
the  Babylonians'  belief  that  no  one  knew  as 
much  as  they  did.  Another  was  the  king's  love 
of  feasting  and  drinking,  and  what  people  now 
call  "having  a  good  time." 

Cyrus  knew  this  and  waited  for  the  great 
religious  festival  when  Babylon's  king  and  his 


MEASURED  309 

"thousand  lords"  would  forget  everything  but 
the  magnificent  feast,  and  all  the  people  of  the 
city  were  being  entertained. 

While  Babylon  was  making  a  noise  with  her 
drunken  songs  the  Persians  were  silent,  but  they 
were  at  work.  No  sentry  was  on  the  walls,  no 
watchmen  by  the  gates,  the  night  was  black,  the 
soldiers  not  on  guard,  for  was  not  this  a  holiday 
for  mighty  Babylon? 

The  waters  had  made  no  noise  as  they  dis- 
appeared. One — two — three  soldiers  of  the 
Persian  host  slipped  through  the  water  gates, 
then  little  groups,  and  at  last  the  whole  army 
with  its  king.  The  war  cry  of  victory  and  the  . 
answer  of  despair  from  Babylon's  people  was 
the  murmur  which  had  reached  Belshazzar's 
ears  as  he  waited  for  Daniel  to  tell  him  the 
meaning  of  the  handwriting  on  the  wall. 

"In  that  night  Belshazzar  the  Chaldean 
king  was  slain,"  and  "fallen,  fallen  is  Babylon; 
and  all  the  graven  images  of  her  gods  are  broken 
unto  the  ground." 

What  became  of  captive  Israel?  Her  people 
returned  to  Jerusalem,  they  rebuilt  its  walls, 
repaired  the  temple,  and  found  the  long  lost 


3io         OLD  TESTAMENT  HERO  STORIES 

Book  of  the  Law.  Seventy  years  in  Babylon 
had  cured  Israel  of  the  worship  of  idols.  As 
little  groups  of  people  journeyed  homeward 
toward  Jerusalem  they  sang  a  song  of  praise  to 
Jehovah  and  promised  to  serve  Him  only.  If 
you  will  read  the  One  Hundred  and  Nineteenth 
Psalm  you  will  know  the  song  the  happy  people 
sang  on  their  homeward  way. 

Toiling  up  the  steep  slopes  of  Jerusalem 
they  came;  some  paused  in  the  valley  below 
and  looked  up  at  the  ruined  city  standing  on 
the  heights.  No  glistening  golden  roof  greeted 
them;  there  was  no  sound  of  joy.  Shattered 
walls  and  ruined  temple  met  their  eyes.  It 
was  night  when  Nebuchadnezzar's  army  entered 
Jerusalem,  and  it  was  in  the  darkness  of  night 
that  she  fell. 

As  the  wanderers  in  the  valley  and  on  the 
slopes  gazed  at  the  city  now  warm  in  the  morn- 
ing sun,  ruined  though  Jerusalem  was,  they  felt 
that  she  should  be  rebuilt,  and  in  the  glory  of 
the  golden  morning  their  lips  repeated  Isaiah's 
words:  "Arise,  shine;  for  thy  light  is  come, 
and  the  glory  of  Jehovah  is  risen  upon  thee." 


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